Viticultural zoning applications at the detailed scale of a cooperative winery: terroirs in St­hilaire-d’Ozilhan (AOC Côtes-du-Rhône)

La brise de mer est un facteur climatique important pour le zonage viticole des régions viticoles côtières car l’accélération du vent qui lui est associée l’après midi ainsi que l’augmentation de l’humidité relative et la réduction de la température concomitantes sont significatives pour le fonctionnement de la vigne et, par conséquent, la qualité du raisin et du vin

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.

One of the most concerning trends associated with increasing heat and water stress is advanced ripening of grapes, which leads to harvesting fruit at higher sugar concentrations but lacking optimal phenolic (i.e. color and mouthfeel) and aromatic maturity. Mitigation techniques for this phenomenon have been studied for many years and practices to delay sugar accumulation have been identified, including antitranspirants, delayed pruning and late-source-limitation techniques. Evaluation of the efficacy of these vineyard practices has occurred across a wide range of environments, vintages, varieties and growing conditions. To assess the broader efficacy of these three vineyard practices, which are easy-to-implement and cost-effective, a meta-analytic approach was adopted using data retrieved from 43 original studies.

The bunch rot induced by Botrytis cinerea is an important disease of grapevine that causes a diminution of grape quality and a considerable yield loss leading to an economic loss

Pinking of white wine is an undesired change potentially occurring over storage, leading to the turning of color from yellow into salmon-red hue.