Terroir 1996 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Analyse du rôle du terroir dans la définition d’une appellation d’origine

Analyse du rôle du terroir dans la définition d’une appellation d’origine

Abstract

In France, the definition of appellations of origins is entrusted to the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine. (‘NAO). With the increase in price of appellations of origin vine­yards and considering the interests at stake, Institut National des Appellations d’Origine and the Institut National de Recherche Agronomique (INRA) established a work group in 1993 in order to study the “terroir-wine” relationship as precisely as possible, taking into account the knowledge acquired by researchers of the INRA and the experience in the field of the agents of the INAO. Four years of work by this group have allowed for significant progress to be made in the knowledge of the role of terroir in the definition of appellations of origin in France. Thus, the group carried out, among other things, a research based on the different situations in France on the respective importance of natural factors and human factors in the conception of AOC (Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées); it demonstrated how the historical and human evolution of certain regions have led to the recognition of several appellations within identical terroirs or group of terroirs, or the definition of certain AOCs within several different terroirs. This study clearly specified the respective rotes of natural factors (soil, climate) and humanfactors in the definition of AOC. It shows that in certain cases, human factors play a ro/e which is much more important than what was acknowl­edged so far. However, it does not diminish the essential role of terroir as an exceptional natural medium for the vineyard.

DOI:

Publication date: March 2, 2022

Issue: Terroir 1998

Type: Article

Authors

JACQUES FANET

I.N.A.O., 138 Champs Elysées, 75008 PARIS

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 1998

Citation

Related articles…

New technologies to characterize spatial variability in viticulture

Measurements of parameters spatialy positionned, with on line sensors mounted on classical machinery or airborne imagery is no more a problem in viticulture. In a short time, high resolution data dedicated to the assessment of the vine characteristics, the soil, the harvest, etc. will become a reality.

AGEING BOTTLED WINES SUBMERGED IN SEA: DOES IT IMPACT WINE COMPOSITION?

Aging wines is a common practice in oenology, which in recent years has undergone some innovations. Currently, we are witnessing the practice of aging bottled wine in depth, immersed in the sea or in reservoirs, for variable periods of time, but so far, little is known about the impact of aging in depth on the physicochemical properties, of wines.
The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of this practice on the physicochemical characteristics, in particular to verify changes in the volatile composition of wines bottled and subsequently immersed in depth. A red wine from Cabernet Sauvignon was bottled and a set of bottles were submerged from July to February (2020), another set of bottles were submerged from February to September (2020) and another set was kept in the wine cellar. Bottles from each set were analyzed (in triplicate) in July 2021.

Some applications come from a method to concentrate proteins

All techniques usually used to assay proteins was not reliable in vegetable extract due to interferences with the components included in extracts like polyphenols, tanins, pectines, aromatics compounds. Absorbance at 280nm, Kjeldhal assay, Biuret and Lowry methods, Acid Bicinchonique technique and Bradford assay give the results depending on the composition of extract, on the presence or not of detergent and on the raw material (Marchal, 1995). Another difficulty in these extracts for the quantification of proteins comes from the large amount of water included in vegetable and the low concentration of proteins. Thus in red wines, proteins are usually not taken into account due to their low concentration (typically below 10 mgL-1) and to the presence of anthocyanis and polyphenols.

Chemistry and analysis of key volatile compounds of wine and their precursors in grape

A relatively small number of the many volatile substances of wine, often present at trace
concentrations, are considered as key volatile compounds. These compounds often exist in grapes
under poorly odoriferous or non volatile forms as aroma precursors.

Application of nitrogen forms such as nitrate, urea, and amino acids effects on leaf and berry physiology and wine quality

Nitrogen (N) uptake by grapevine roots in forms like nitrate, ammonium, urea, or amino acids influences vegetative and generative growth, impacting grape quality and wine sensory profile. The study examined nitrogen’s influence on phenolic compounds in leaves, berries, and wine across different scales — hydroponics, soil culture, and vineyard trials. Nitrogen forms altered metabolite patterns in leaves and wine significantly, affecting aroma and flavor. Key nitrogen assimilation enzymes (NR, NiR, GS) in grapevine rootstocks responded to nitrogen forms and timing. Hydroponically grown rootstocks fertilized with various forms showed differences in enzyme expression and activity, suggesting rootstocks can assimilate amino acid glutamine (Gln).