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IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Delimitation of Saint-Bris AOC: example of reasonning delimitation criteria from production customs

Delimitation of Saint-Bris AOC: example of reasonning delimitation criteria from production customs

Abstract

La définition de l’Appellation d’Origine précise que les caractères du produit doivent être dus au milieu géographique, celui-ci intégrant des facteurs naturels et humains. Lors de la délimitation d’une Appellation d’Origine, il faut donc intégrer les facteurs humains (usages de production) préalablement au travail de terrain proprement dit, qui, lui, s’appuie sur les caractères du milieu naturel : les critères techniques appliqués pour la délimitation découlent directement de l’analyse des facteurs humains (type de produit consacré par l’usage, itinéraire technologique, contexte agronomique et sociologique).
Le déroulement de la délimitation de l’AOC Saint-Bris illustre ce cheminement : à partir d’un produit à l’identité et aux caractères reconnus, l’intégration des différents éléments du contexte humain amenèrent à définir une aire de production particulière pour un vignoble septentrional. Le passage d’AOVDQS en AOC du Sauvignon de Saint-Bris s’est accompagné d’un resserrement de l’aire de production sur le village de Saint-Bris, où sont pratiquement rassemblés les producteurs, et de la délimitation d’une zone de production de raisin éliminant les situations les plus précoces (exposition sud), répondant ainsi au désir des vignerons de produire un vin frais et minéral, sans caractères de surmaturité.

The definition of Appellation of Origin clarifies that the characters of the product must be issued from geographical environment, including natural and human factors. In order to delimitate an Appellation of Origin, we have to integrate human factors (production customs) beforehand the work on land which is based on factors from natural environment : technical criteria applied for delimitation directly issue from analysis of these human factors (characteristics of the product, technological process, agronomie and sociological context). The unfolding of the delimitation of Saint-Bris AOC illustrates this progress: from a product with defined identity and characteristics, the integration of the various elements of the human context brought to define a peculiar area of production for a northerly vineyard. The passage of “Sauvignon de Saint-Bris ” from AOVDQS to AOC came along with a contraction of the area of production on the village of Saint-Bris, where live almost all the producers, and the delimitation of a zone of production of grape eliminating the most premature situations (southward exposure), answering so the desire of the wine growers to produce a fresh and mineral wine, without characters of over-ripeness.

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Publication date: February 16, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2002

Type: Article

Authors

Eric VINCENT

INAO, 53, rue de Mulhouse, 21000 DIJON, France

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Keywords

 Appellation d’origine, AOC, délimitation, Saint-Bris, usages, vin, sauvignon
Appellation of Origin, AOC, délimitation, Saint-Bris, customs, wine, sauvignon

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IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2002

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