“Garrigues”, part of the mediterranean vine terroirs

Rapid processing of grapes after harvest has always been considered essential for achieving a balanced sensory wine profile.

AIM: We investigated the effect of soil texture on grapevine response to water stress, leaf abscisic acid concentration and berry quality, in two adjacent vineyards located in the renewed Cannubi hill of Barolo (Langhe area, CN, North-West Italy).

Grapevine yield is a key indicator to assess the impacts of climate change and the relevance of adaptation strategies in a vineyard landscape. At this scale, a yield model should use a number of parameters and input data in relation to the information available and be able to reproduce vineyard management decisions (e.g. soil and canopy management, irrigation). In this study, we used data from six experimental sites in Southern France (cv. Syrah) to calibrate a model of grapevine yield limited by water constraint (GraY). Each yield component (bud fertility, number of berries per bunch, berry weight) was calculated as a function of the soil water availability simulated by the WaLIS water balance model at critical phenological phases. The model was then evaluated in 10 grapegrowers’ plots, covering a diversity of biophysical and technical contexts (soil type, canopy size, irrigation, cover crop). We identified three critical periods for yield formation: after flowering on the previous year for the number of bunches and berries, around pre-veraison and post-veraison of the same year for mean berry weight. Yields were simulated with a model efficiency (EF) of 0.62 (NRMSE = 0.28). Bud fertility and number of berries per bunch were more accurately simulated (EF = 0.90 and 0.77, NRMSE = 0.06 and 0.10, respectively) than berry weight (EF = -0.31, NRMSE = 0.17). Model efficiency on the on-farm plots reached 0.71 (NRMSE = 0.37) simulating yields from 1 to 8 kg/plant. The GraY model is an original model estimating grapevine yield evolution on the basis of water availability under future climatic conditions.  It allows to evaluate the effects of various adaptation levers such as planting density, cover crop management, fruit/leaf ratio, shading and irrigation, in various production contexts.

One of the main problems in viticultural production in Istria (Croatia) is a labour shortage in periods of intensive works, mainly during summer, respectively during tourist season.

Ozalj- vivodina region is small vine growing area (only about 100 hectares of vineyards), but with significant number of old, ancient vineyards planted between 50 and 100 years ago. Trend of abandoning or replanting ancient vineyards takes place for the last 30 years. This trend results in grapevine germplasm erosion because traditional varieties are replaced with well known international varieties.Few known traditional varieties are dominantly present in ancient vineyards together with many others of unknown identity. Historical data about prevalence and characteristic of varieties on this area are very poor.