terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Different soil types and relief influence the quality of Merlot grapes in a relatively small area in the Vipava Valley (Slovenia) in relation to the vine water status

Different soil types and relief influence the quality of Merlot grapes in a relatively small area in the Vipava Valley (Slovenia) in relation to the vine water status

Abstract

Besides location and microclimatic conditions, soil plays an important role in the quality of grapes and wine. Soil properties influence the soil water holding capacity, the vegetative growth and the vine water status. Moreover, it is known that the vine water status affects the grape quality, such as concentration and structural characteristics of phenols. In a relatively small area of the Vipava Valley, soil profiles were described on terraced and flat vineyards in the valley bottoms (n=5). Texture, pH, organic matter, available phosphorus, potassium and magnesium were determined for each soil horizon in the soil profile. Viticultural parameters (number of buds, clusters and leaf area) were standardised. Stem water potential (SWP) was measured during the growing season and grapes were randomly sampled during ripening in 2019. The content and structural characteristics of proanthocyanidins were determined in grape skins and seeds. On terraces, SWP was predominantly more negative than on flat vineyards, probably mainly due to the soil ability to retain water. Vineyards on flysch terrace soils consist of up to 90% coarse material and therefore contain less organic matter than the dense and largely non-skeletal loamy alluvial soils of flat vineyards. These two extreme groups of vineyards in the same vine-growing area differ considerably in morphology and soil profile characteristics, as well as microclimatic conditions and relief. The diversity of vineyards is reflected, among other things, in the grape quality. Higher concentration of anthocyanins in the skins and higher galloylation of seed proanthocyanidins was found in grapes from terraced vineyards. Understanding relationships between site, soil and the phenolic ripening of grapes is crucial for determining the best vineyard sites and thus for characterising terroirs suitable for high quality wines.

DOI:

Publication date: May 5, 2022

Issue: Terclim 2022

Type: Poster

Authors

Alenka Mihelčič1, Klemen Lisjak1, Andreja Vanzo1, Paolo Sivilotti2, Mario Čule3 and Borut Vrščaj1

1Department of Fruit Growing, Viticulture and Oenology and Department of Agricultural Ecology and Natural Resources Services, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Animal Science, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
3Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

Contact the author

Keywords

soil, flysch, skeleton, stem water potential, grape phenolic

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terclim 2022

Citation

Related articles…

Consumer perception of wine bottle weight and its impact on sustainability

In the context of sustainability, this study evaluated consumer perception regarding the impact of glass bottle weight on wine valuation.

Read More

Elicitors application in two maturation stages of Vitis vinifera L. cv Monastrell: changes on the skin cell walls

AIM: In a recent study, it was determined that the mid-ripening period is the most suitable for the application of methyl jasmonate (MeJ), benzothiadiazole BTH and MeJ+BTH on Monastrell grapes, to favor maximum accumulation of phenolic compounds at the time of harvest. However, the increase in the anthocyanin content of

Read More

The smoking gun of climate change in wines

In this audio recording of the IVES science meeting 2022, Antonio Graca (Sogrape, Portugal) speaks about smoke taint and climate change. This presentation is based on an original article accessible for free on IVES Technical Reviews.

Read More

Evaluation of the effects of pruning methodology on the development of young vines 

Grapevine pruning is one of the most important practices in the vineyards. Winegrowers use it to provide the vines the shape needed, or to maintain it once achieved, and also to balance vegetative growth and fruit production. In the last decades, careless pruning has been blamed, among other factors, as responsible of the vineyard decay that is been observed even in young vines. However, to our knowledge, there is a lack of systematic research trying to elucidate to which extent the pruning method used affects plant development or its susceptibility to grapevine trunk diseases (GTD). Within this context, the aim of this work is to study the influence of different pruning method strategies on the development of field-planted young vines.

Read More

The regulation of ABA-induced anthocyanin accumulation in grape berry

Color is a key quality trait for grape berry and the producing wines. Berry color of red genotypes is mainly determined by the quantity and composition of anthocyanins accumulated in the skin and/or pulp. Both genetic and environmental factors could influence the quantity and composition of anthocyanins, while the underlying mechanisms are not fully clear. To explore the mechanisms underlying the diversity of anthocyanin accumulation in grape berry, we compared two grapevine genotypes showing distinct sensitivities to ABA-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis, where one genotype showed minor responses to exogenous ABA application while the other showed significant increase in anthocyanins after exogenous ABA application.

Read More