Climatic zoning and viticulture in Galicia (North West Spain)

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Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere due to human activities are leading to a rise in the average temperature of the atmosphere. among the scenarios established by the un’s intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), only two enable us to achieve the minimum objective of the paris agreements signed at cop 21 in 2015: staying below +2°c after 2050. both scenarios forecast a rapid reduction in GHG emissions as early as 2025, thanks to strong international cooperation, the priority given to sustainable development and responsible consumer choices.

Climate change critically challenges viticulture. Among other threats, extreme and increasingly frequent heatwaves cause irreversible burns on leaves and bunches. A series of observations and experiments was conducted to better understand how leaf burns originate and whether genetics or management practices can mitigate them. In 2019, a panel of 279 potted cultivars of Vitis vinifera L. grown outdoors suffered a heat peak and a genetic origin of leaf burn variability was demonstrated. To deeper explore this variability, fourteen cultivars were selected for their contrasting responses to high temperatures, and detached leaves were submitted to a controlled increase in temperature up to 50 °C in a growth chamber.

Hillside vineyards have a great potential to produce world class wines. The unique microclimate lead to the production of rich, flavory wines.

Nutrient availability – nitrogen, lipids, vitamins or oxygen – has a major impact on the kinetics of winemaking fermentations. Nitrogen is usually the growth-limiting nutrient and its availability determines the fermentation rate, and therefore the fermentation duration. In some cases, in particular in Champagne, grape musts have high nitrogen concentrations and are sometimes clarified with turbidity below 50 NTU. In these conditions, lipid deficiencies may occur and longer fermentations can be observed. To better understand this situation, a study was realized using a synthetic medium simulating the composition of a Champagne must : 180 g/L of sugar, 360 mg/L of assimilable nitrogen and a lipid content ranging from 1 to 8 mg/L of phytosterols (mainly β-sitosterol).