Identification of the agronomical and landscape potentialities in Côtes du Rhône area (France)

Grapevine (Vitis Vinifera L.), one of the most important cultivated fruit crops, is facing significant challenges due to climate change. Specifically, increasing temperatures negatively impact the physiological traits and disrupt plant phenology. Additionally, increased virulence in pathogen attacks and pests leads to significant yield loss, requiring widespread application of plant protection products. Traditional agronomic practices offer only partial mitigation, requiring the development of precise and effective intervention strategies. The economic worth of viticulture has prompted continuous efforts in grapevine genetic improvement programs, traditionally involving conventional breeding and clonal selection that, however, are complex and time-consuming approaches.

Vine water status has a significant influence on vineyard yield and berry composition (Williams and Matthews, 1990; Williams et al., 1994). It has been hypothesized that the response of plants to soil water deficits may be due to some sort of “root signal” (Davies and Zhang, 1991). This signal probably arises due to the roots sensing a reduction in soil water content or an increase in the mecanical impedance as the soil dries out.

The grape and wine industries have long sought rapid, reliable and cost-effective methods to screen and monitor all the stages of the winemaking process, which include grape ripening in the vineyard, harvest and grape reception at the weighbridge, the fermentation stage and the bottling of the final product.

In recent years, an undesirable premature “aged” character has been noticed in a growing number of young Riesling wines, associated with extreme weather conditions leading to increased radiation intensity and/ or sun exposure of grapes.

Annually, around 31.95 million tonnes of grapevine prunings are produced worldwide as agricultural waste.