Vine environment interaction as a method for land viticultural evaluation. An experience in Friuli Venezia Giulia (N-E of Italy)

For a long time environment was known as one of the most important factors to characterize the quality of wines but at the same time it appears very difficult to distinguish inside the “terroir” the role of the single factor. These remarks partially explain why methods for viticultural evaluation are often quite different (Amerine et al., 1944; Antoniazzi et al., 1986; Asselin et al., 1987; Astruc et al., 1980; Bonfils, 1977; Boselli, 1991; Colugnati, 1990; Costantinescu, 1967; Costantini et al., 1987; Dutt et al., 1981; Falcetti et al., 1992; Fregoni et al., 1992; Hidalgo, 1980; Intrieri et al., 1988; Laville, 1990; Morlat et al., 1991; Scienza et al., 1990; Shubert et al., 1987; Turri et al., 1991). From the beginning of the 80s only, studies about adaptation of vine to environment finally acquired an interdisciplinary and complementary character. In this way, the definition of viticultural vocation rises from the interaction of informations on the climate, the geomorphology, soil conditions and cultural practices with vine-performance, drawing special attention to a relationship between climate, soil and vine. Substantially, the “zonation” idea is connected with “viticultural vocation”, where “zonation” means the subdivision of a land by ecological, pedological and topographical characteristics, verified by the adaptation of the different cultivars (Morlat et al., 1989, 1991).