Terroir 1996 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Viticultural zoning of the country of Mendoza, Argentina. Study of the first zone : department of Luján de Cuyo. Statement of the study year 2002

Viticultural zoning of the country of Mendoza, Argentina. Study of the first zone : department of Luján de Cuyo. Statement of the study year 2002

Abstract

[English version below]

La région viticole de Mendoza est la principale zone vitivinicole d’Argentine qui se compose de 3 oasis (Nord, Valle de Uco, Sud). La première zone vitivinicole, située dans l’oasis Nord, est composée par les département de Luján de Cuyo et Maipu. C’est la zone de production la plus ancienne et la plus reconnue pour la qualité de sa production. Ce travail se porte plus particulièrement sur le département de Luján de Cuyo qui constitue le lieu traditionnel de production du Malbec argertin. Ce travail propose de caractériser les terroirs et de mettre en avant leurs typicités. Le croisement des informations climatiques et des analyses des sols est à l’origine d’un zonage agro-écologique réalisé antérieurement, ces zones seront précisées dans cette étude et seront définies comme des Unités Terroirs de Base (UTB). La mise en place d’un réseau de 14 parcelles d’observation composées de la même variété de référence le Malbec, permet l’étude du potentiel vitivinicole de cette zone. A la suite d’une première année d’étude, les zones homogènes ont pu être précisées et caractérisées du point de vue du comportement de la plante et de la typicité des vins. Ce travail sera poursuivi dans les années à venir pour confirmer les résultats et donner des réponses aux producteurs.

Mendoza is the most important wine producing province of Argentina. It is composed of three cases (Oasis Norte, Oasis Valle de Uco, Oasis Sur). The main wine producing zone is located in the “North Oasis” and is composed of the departments of Luján de Cuyo and Maipu. It is the oldest and the most well known zone for its quality of produce. This study focuses on the department of Luján, which is the traditional vine growing production area for the argentine Malbec variety. The aim of this study is to characterise the different “terroirs” and to point out their typicities. The interaction between climatic information and soil analysis had allowed to realise a agronomic and ecological zonation in a previous work. The zones which had been defined will be precise in this study and will constitute the “Basic Units of Terroir” (UTB). Within these units a net of fourteen vineyards were elected. All of them present the same reference variety : Malbec, in order to study the viticulture capacity of this zone. Homogeneous zones have yet been located and characterised according to the plant behaviour and the typicity of wines. Further studies are foreseen, so that the results can be verified and can help the productors.

DOI:

Publication date: February 11, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2002

Type: Article

Authors

A. VIGIL (1), M. GRASSIN (1), H. OJEDA (1), C. CATANIA (1), H. VILA (1), R. DEL MONTE (1), J. ZULUAGA (2)

(1) INTA Estación Experimental Agropecuario (EEA) Mendoza, Chacras de Coria, Mendoza, Argentina
(2) Instituto Nacional del Agua (INA), Ave Belgrano, Capital, Mendoza, Argentina

Keywords

zonage, sol, climat, eau, potentialité vitivinicole, typicité
zone, soil, climate, water, viticulture potential, typicity

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2002

Citation

Related articles…

Under-vine management effects on grapevine production, soil properties and plant communities in South Australia

Under-vine (UV) management has traditionally consisted of synthetic herbicide use to limit competition between weeds and grapevines. With growing global interest towards non-synthetic chemical use, this study aimed to capture the effects of alternative UV management at two commercial Shiraz vineyards in South Australia, where the sole management variables were UV management since 2016. In adjacent treatment blocks, cultivation (CU) was compared to spontaneous vegetation (SV) in McLaren Vale (MV), and herbicide was compared to SV in Eden Valley (EV). Soil water infiltration rates were slower and grapevine stem water potential was lower in CU compared to SV in MV, with the latter having a plant community dominated by soursob (Oxalis pes-caprae) during winter; while in EV, there was little separation between the treatments. Yields were affected at both sites, with SV being higher in MV and HE being higher in EV. In MV, the only effect on grape must was a lower 13C:12C isotope ratio in CU, indicating greater grapevine water stress. In the grape must at EV, SV had higher total soluble solids, total phenolics, anthocyanins, and yeast available nitrogen; and lower pH and titratable acidity. Pruning weights were not affected by the treatments in MV, while they were higher in HE at EV. Assessments revealed that the differing soil types at the two sites were likely the main determinants of the opposing production outcomes associated with UV management. In the silty loam soil of MV, the higher yields in SV were likely due to more plant-available water, as a potential result of the continuous soil bio-pores formed by winter UV vegetation. Conversely, in the loamy sand soils of EV with a lower cation exchange capacity, the lower yields and pruning weights in SV suggest the UV vegetation competed significantly with the grapevines for available water and nutrients.

Bioclimatic shifts and land use options for Viticulture in Portugal

Land use, plays a relevant role in the climatic system. It endows means for agriculture practices thus contributing to the food supply. Since climate and land are closely intertwined through multiple interface processes, climate change may lead to significant impacts in land use. In this study, 1-km observational gridded datasets are used to assess changes in the Köppen–Geiger and Worldwide Bioclimatic (WBCS)

Is wine terroir a valid concept under a changing climate?

The OIV[i] defines terroir as a concept referring to an area in which collective knowledge of the interactions between the physical and biological environment (soil, topography, climate, landscape characteristics and biodiversity features) and vitivinicultural practices develops, providing distinctive wine characteristics. Those are perceptible in the taste of wine, which drives consumer preference and, therefore, wine’s value in the marketplace. Geographical indications (GI) are recognized regulatory constructs formalizing and protecting the nexus between wine taste and the terroir generating it. Despite considering updates, GIs do not consider the nexus as a dynamic one and do not anticipate change, namely of climate. Being climate a fundamental feature of terroir, it strongly impacts wine characteristics, such as taste. According to IPCC[ii], many widespread, rapid and unprecedented changes of climate occurred, some being irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years. Climatic shifts and atmospheric-driven extreme events have been widely reported worldwide. Recent climatic trends are projected to strengthen in upcoming decades, whereas extremes are expected to increase in frequency and intensity, forcing wines away from GI definitions. Geographical shifts of viticultural suitability are projected, often moving into regions and countries different from current ones. Some authors propose adaptation in viticulture, winemaking and product innovation. We show evidence of climate changing wine characteristics in the Douro valley, home of 270-year-old Port GI. We discuss herein resist or adapt stances for when climate changes the nexus between terroir and wine characteristics. Using the MED-GOLD[iii] dashboard, a tool allowing for easy visual navigation of past and future climates, we demonstrate how policymakers can identify future moments, throughout the 21st century under different emission scenarios, when GI specifications will likely need updates (e.g., boundaries, varieties) to reduce climate-change impacts.

Mapping and tracking canopy size with VitiCanopy

Understanding vineyard variability to target management strategies, apply inputs efficiently and deliver consistent grape quality to the winery is essential. However, despite inherent vineyard variability, the majority are managed as if they are uniform. VitiCanopy is a simple, grower-friendly tool for precision/digital viticulture that allows users to collect and interpret objective spatial information about vineyard performance. After four years of field and market research, an upgraded VitiCanopy has been created to achieve a more streamlined, technology-assisted vine monitoring tool that provides users with a set of superior new features, which could significantly improve the way users monitor their grapevines. These new features include:
• New user interface
• User authentication
• Batch analysis of multiple images
• Ease the learning curve through enhanced help features
• Reporting via the creation of colour maps that will allow users to assess the spatial differences in canopies within a vineyard.
Use-case examples are presented to demonstrate the quantification and mapping of vineyard variability through objective canopy measurements, ground-truthing of remotely sensed measurements, monitoring of crop conditions, implementation of disease and water management decisions as well as creating a history of each site to forecast quality. This intelligent tool allows users to manage grapevines and make informed management choices to achieve the desired production targets and remain profitable.

A predictive model of spatial Eca variability in the vineyard to support the monitoring of plant status

[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"...