Étude intégrée et allégée des terroirs viticoles en Anjou: caractérisation et zonage de l’unité terroir de base, en relation avec une enquête parcellaire

The terroir concept is presented as the basis of the A.O.C system, in the french vineyards. The “Anjou terroirs” programme aims at bringing the necessary scientific basisfor a rational and reasoned exploitation of the terroir. lt must lead to finalizing a lighter, more relevant integrated method of characterisation wich could be generally applied. The “Basic Terroir Unit “concept, elaborated earlier, is now more precise,from the standpoint of soil characterisation, because of the current study. This allowed to initiate the Rock, Alteration, Alterite ground model wich is currently being tested. A viticultural survey based on parcels, has been carried out among vine-growers, in order to study the possibilities of lightening the terroir characterisation method. lt includes for example, questions concerning empirical knowledge of the soil, the climate of the parcel, vine budbreak precocity, water supply and vigour potential of vine, as well as question on overmaturing aptitude of the parcel. These variable are influenced by the natural factors of the “terroir” and they can be logically explained. The main results of the study are presented and discussed in this paper.