terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Late frost protection in Champagne

Late frost protection in Champagne

Abstract

Probably one of the most counterintuitive impacts of climate change on vine is the increased frequency of late frost. Champagne, due to its septentrional position is historically and regularly affected by this meteorological hazard. Champagne has therefore developed a strong experience in frost protection with first experiments dating from the end of 19th century. Frost protection can be divided in two parts: passive and active. Passive protection includes all the methods that do not seek to modify the vine’s environment or resistance at the time of frost. The most iconic passive protection in Champagne is the establishment of the individual reserve. This reserve allows to stock a certain quantity of clear wine during a surplus year to compensate a meteorological hazard like frost during the following years. Other common passive methods are the control of planting area (walls, bushes, topography), the choice of grape variety, late pruning, or the impact of grass cover and tillage. Active frost protection is also divided in two parts. Most of the existing techniques tend to modify vine’s environment. Most of the time they provide warmth (candles, heaters, windmills, heating cables…), or stabilise bud’s temperature above a lethal threshold (water sprinkling). The other way to actively fight is to enhance the resistance of buds to frost (elicitors). The Comité Champagne evaluates frost protection methods following three main axes: the efficiency, the profitability, and the environmental impact through a lifecycle assessment. This study will present the results on both passive and active protection following these three axes.

DOI:

Publication date: May 31, 2022

Issue: Terclim 2022

Type: Article

Authors

Basile Pauthier, Sébastien Debuisson and Arnaud Descôtes 

Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, Epernay, France 

Contact the author

Keywords

late frost, climate change, active protection, passive protection, Champagne

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terclim 2022

Citation

Related articles…

Physico-chemical parameters as possible markers of sensory quality for ‘Barbera’ commercial red wines

Wine quality is defined by sensory and physico-chemical characteristics. In particular, sensory features are very important since they strongly condition wine acceptability by consumers. However, the evaluation of sensory quality can be subjective, unless performed by a tasting panel of experienced tasters. Therefore, it is of great relevance to establish relationships between objective chemical parameters and sensory perceptions, even though the complexity of wine composition makes it difficult. In this sense, more reliable relationships can be found for a particular wine typology or variety. The present study aimed to predict the perceived sensory quality from the physico-chemical parameters of ‘Barbera d’Asti’ DOCG red wines (Italy).

Methyl Jasmonate Versus Nano-Methyl Jasmonate: Effect On The Stilbene Content In Monastrell Variety

Stilbenes, a kind of non-flavonoid phenolic compounds, have been reported to be responsible for various beneficial effects. Their biological properties include antibacterial and antifungal effects, as well as cardioprotective, neuroprotective and anticancer actions (Guerrero et al. 2009).Several strategies can be used to increase stilbene content in grapes and one of them could be the use of elicitors such as methyl jasmonate. The use of this elicitor has been proven to be efficient in the production of secondary metabolites which increases the quality of wines, but its use also has some drawbacks such as its low water solubility, high volatility, and its expensive cost (Gil-Muñoz et al. 2021).

The affinity of white wine proteins for bentonite is dependent on wine composition and is directly related to their thermal stability / sensitivity

Bentonite fining is commonly used in oenology to remove all or parts of white wine proteins, which are known to be involved in haze formation. This fining is effective, but has disadvantages: it is not selective, thus molecules responsible for aroma are also removed, it causes substantial volume losses, and finally it generates wastes. Over the last decades, the knowledge of wine proteins has increased: they have been identified, their structures are known, some of them have been crystallized.

Sensory impact of acetaldehyde addition in Syrah red wines

Acetaldehyde is a volatile carbonyl compound synthetized by yeast during alcoholic fermentation, but it can also be formed by oxidation of ethanol during wine aging [1]. At low concentration, it enhances the fruity aroma, however, at higher levels, it can generate the appearance of notes of bruised and rotten apple [2]. From a chemical point of view, acetaldehyde is a reactive low-

Regionality in Australian Pinot Noir wines: A study using NMR and ICP-MS with commercial wines

Aim: Wine quality and character are defined in part by the terroir in which the grapes are grown. Metabolomic techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), are used to characterise wines and to detect wine fraud in other countries but have not been extensively trialled in Australia. This study aimed to investigate the use of ICP-MS and NMR to characterise a selection of Pinot noir wines.