Étude de la flore levurienne de différents terroirs alsaciens

Terroir encompasses environmental (climate, geology, soil and topography), genetic (cultivar and clone) and human factors (oenological and viticultural practices). Climate change brings about shifts in the suitability of a region for the growth of specific grapevine cultivars. This study focused on climatic and fruit parameters (berry size, weight, pH, total acidity (TA) and phenolics) to characterise the terroir effect in Vitis vinifera L. cultivars Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in the Cape South Coast region (Walker Bay and Elgin).

In recent years, sustainability has become a key focus in agriculture, including viticulture.

The wine and distillery industries are among the most prominent sectors in EU agriculture, where 75% of grape production is dedicated to winemaking.

Winegrowers must adapt more and more their viticultural practices in order to evolve toward a sustainable viticulture, to be competitive and to improve both the production methods and the quality and typicalness of wines. In this context, ‘Terroir’ studies in Loire Valley vineyards have allowed to build decision aid maps that can be used directly by growers to adjust their practices.

Although vitamins stand as major actors to yeasts prime metabolic pathways, their significance in oenology and winemaking remains rather obscure nowadays, having been mostly unexplored for several decades.