Terroir 1996 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Hierarchy of the role of climate, soil and cultivar in terroir effect can largely be explained by vine water status

Hierarchy of the role of climate, soil and cultivar in terroir effect can largely be explained by vine water status

Abstract

Le terroir peut être défini comme un écosystème dans lequel la vigne interagit avec le climat et le sol et dont la résultante est le vin. Dans ce travail, les trois principaux composants de l’effet terroir, à savoir le climat, le sol et le cépage ont été étudié simultanément. Le développement de la vigne et la constitution du raisin de Vitis vinifera L. cv Merlot, Cabernet franc et Cabernet-Sauvignon ont été comparés sur trois parcelles non irriguées, comportant respectivement un sol graveleux (G), un sol à sous-sol très argileux (C) et un sol sableux à nappe d’eau à portée des racines (S). L’effet du climat a été étudié à partir des variations climatiques annuelles (effet millésime) sur la période 1996-2003. Les effets du climat, du sol et du cépage ont été hautement significatif sur la plupart des variables mesurées. Sur une majorité de variables, l’effet du climat a été plus important que l’effet du sol et du cépage. La plupart des variables sont corrélées à l’intensité du déficit hydrique, qui a été évalué par la mesure du potentiel foliaire de base et par la mesure de la discrimination isotopique du carbone 13 sur les sucres du moût (δ13C). L’effet du climat et du sol semblent agir principalement par leur incidence sur le régime hydrique de la vigne.

Terroir can be defined as an interactive ecosystem, in a given place, including climate, soil and the vine. The three main components of terroir effect, soil, climate and cultivar, have been studied simultaneously. Vine development and berry composition of non-irrigated Vitis vinifera L. cv Merlot, Cabernet franc and Cabernet-Sauvignon were compared on a gravely soil (G), a soil with a heavy clay sub soil (C) and a sandy soil with a water table within the reach of the roots (S). The influence of climate was assessed with year-to-year climatic variations (vintage effect) over the period 1996 to 2003. Effects of climate, soil and cultivar on vine behaviour and berry ripening were highly significant. On most variables, the impact of climate was greater than the effect of soil and cultivar. Most variables were correlated with the intensity of vine water stress, which was assessed by measurements of pre-dawn leaf water potential and carbon isotope discrimination measured on grape sugar (δ13C). It is likely that the effect of climate and soil on fruit quality is mediated through their influence on vine water status.

DOI:

Publication date: January 13, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2004

Type: Article

Authors

C. van Leeuwen (1), P. Friant (1), M.-E. Jaeck (1) S. Kuhn (1) and O. Lavialle

(1) ENITA de Bordeaux, 1, Crs du G n ral de Gaulle, BP 201, 33175 Gradignan-cedex, France

Contact the author

Keywords

terroir, soil, climate, cultivar, vine, Vitis vinifera, Merlot, Cabernet franc, Cabernet-Sauvignon, water deficit, leaf water potential

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2004

Citation

Related articles…

An analytical framework to site-specifically study climate influence on grapevine involving the functional and Bayesian exploration of farm data time series synchronized using an eGDD thermal index

Climate influence on grapevine physiology is prevalent and this influence is only expected to increase with climate change. Although governed by a general determinism, climate influence on grapevine physiology may present variations according to the terroir. In addition, these site-specific differences are likely to be enhanced when climate influence is studied using farm data. Indeed, farm data integrate additional sources of variation such as a varying representativity of the conditions actually experienced in the field. Nevertheless, there is a real challenge in valuing farm data to enable grape growers to understand their own terroir and consequently adapt their practices to the local conditions. In such a context, this article proposes a framework to site-specifically study climate influence on grapevine physiology using farm data. It focuses on improving the analysis of time series of weather data. The analytical framework includes the synchronization of time series using site-specific thermal indices computed with an original method called Extended Growing Degree Days (eGDD). Synchronized time series are then analyzed using a Bayesian functional Linear regression with Sparse Steps functions (BLiSS) in order to detect site-specific periods of strong climate influence on yield development. The article focuses on temperature and rain influence on grape yield development as a case study. It uses data from three commercial vineyards respectively situated in the Bordeaux region (France), California (USA) and Israel. For all vineyards, common periods of climate influence on yield development were found. They corresponded to already known periods, for example around veraison of the year before harvest. However, the periods differed in their precise timing (e.g. before, around or after veraison), duration and correlation direction with yield. Other periods were found for only one or two vineyards and/or were not referred to in literature, for example during the winter before harvest.

The interplay between grape ripening and weather anomalies – A modeling exercise

Current climate change is increasing inter- and intra-annual variability in atmospheric conditions leading to grapevine phenological shifts as well altered grape ripening and composition at ripeness. This study aims to (i) detect weather anomalies within a long-term time series, (ii) model grape ripening revealing altered traits in time to target specific ripeness thresholds for four Vitis vinifera cultivars, and (iii) establish empirical relationships between ripening and weather anomalies with forecasting purposes. The Day of the Year (DOY) to reach specific grape ripeness targets was determined from time series of sugar concentrations, total acidity and pH collected from a private company in the period 2009-2021 in North-Eastern Italy. Non-linear models for the DOY to reach the specified ripeness thresholds were assessed for model efficiency (EF) and error of prediction (RMSE) in four grapevine cultivars (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Glera and Garganega). For each vintage and cultivar, advances or delays in DOY to target specified ripeness thresholds were assessed with respect to the average ripening dynamics. Long-term meteorological series monitored at ground weather station by means of hourly air temperature and rainfall data were analyzed. Climate statistics were obtained and for each time period (month, bimester, quarter and year) weather anomalies were identified. A linear regression analysis was performed to assess a possible correlation that may exist between ripening and weather anomalies. For each cultivar, ripeness advances or delays expressed in number of days to target the specific ripening threshold were assessed in relation to registered weather anomalies and the specific reference time period in the vintage. Precipitation of the warmest month and spring quarter are key to understanding the effect of climate change on sugar ripeness. Minimum temperatures of May-June bimester and maximum temperatures of spring quarter best correlate with altered total acidity evolution and pH increment during the ripening process, respectively.

Adaptation to soil and climate through the choice of plant material

Choosing the rootstock, the scion variety and the training system best suited to the local soil and climate are the key elements for an economically sustainable production of wine. The choice of the rootstock/scion variety best adapted to the characteristics of the soil is essential but, by changing climatic conditions, ongoing climate change disrupts the fine-tuned local equilibrium. Higher temperatures induce shifts in developmental stages, with on the one hand increasing fears of spring frost damages and, on the other hand, ripening during the warmest periods in summer. Expected higher water demand and longer and more frequent drought events are also major concerns. The genetic control of the phenotypes, by genomic information but also by the epigenetic control of gene expression, offers a lot of opportunities for adapting the plant material to the future. For complex traits, genomic selection is also a promising method for predicting phenotypes. However, ecophysiological modelling is necessary to better anticipate the phenotypes in unexplored climatic conditions Genetic approaches applied on parameters of ecophysiological models rather than raw observed data are more than ever the basis for finding, or building, the ideal varieties of the future.

Short-term relationships between climate and grapevine trunk diseases in southern French vineyards

[lwp_divi_breadcrumbs home_text="IVES" use_before_icon="on" before_icon="||divi||400" module_id="publication-ariane" _builder_version="4.19.4" _module_preset="default" module_text_align="center" module_font_size="16px" text_orientation="center"...

Investigating the impact of grape exposure and UV radiations on rotundone in Vitis vinifera L. Tardif grapes under field trial conditions

Rotundone is the main aroma compound responsible for peppery notes in wines whose biosynthesis is negatively affected by heat and drought. Through the alteration of precipitation regime and the increase in temperature during maturation, climate change is expected to affect wine peppery typicality. In this context there is a demand for developing sustainable viticultural strategies to enhance rotundone accumulation or limit its degradation. It was recently proposed that ultraviolet (UV) radiations could stimulate rotundone production. The aim of this study was to investigate under field trial conditions the impact of grape exposure and UV treatments on rotundone in Vitis vinifera L. Tardif, an almost extinct grape variety from south-west France that can express particularly high rotundone levels. Four different treatments were compared in 2021 to a control treatment using a randomised complete block design with three replications per treatment. Grape exposure was manipulated through early or late defoliation. Leaf and laterals shoots were removed at Eichorn Lorenz growth stages 32 or 34 on the morning-sun side of the canopy. During grape maturation, UV radiations were either reduced by 99% by installing UV radiation-shielding sheets, or applied four times using the Boxilumix™ non thermal device (Asclepios Tech, Tournefeuille) with the aim of activating plant signalling pathway. Loggers displayed in solar radiation shields were used to assess the effect of such shielding sheets on air temperature within the bunch zone. The composition of grapes subjected to these treatments will be soon analysed for their rotundone content and basic classical laboratory analyses. Grapes will be harvested to elaborate wines under standardized small-scale vinification conditions (60kg) that will be assessed by a trained sensory panel.