Influence of weather and climatic conditions on the viticultural production in Croatia

A pool of terpenoids possibly implicated in minty odours and in the appreciable refreshing sensation, has been identified in the ageing bouquet of red Bordeaux wines

A seven years survey (2003 to 2009) has been carried out over old traditional vineyards cv. Cencibel in La Mancha region (Spain). Seven plots with more than 35 years old were sampled from veraison to harvest, measuring soluble solids (ºBaumé) and acid concentration (g/l in tartaric acid).

La conservation de la fertilité du sol est un aspect primordial dans la viticulture durable. Différents paramètres, comme par exemple la topographie, la composition du sol, les conditions climatiques, influencent la fertilité du sol des surfaces viticoes.

Winegrowing regions recognized as protected designations of origin (PDOs) are closely tied to well defined geographic locations with a specific set of pedoclimatic attributes and strictly regulated by legal specifications. However, climate change is increasingly threatening these regions by changing local conditions and altering winegrowing processes. The vulnerability to these changes is largely heterogenous across different winegrowing regions because it is determined by individual characteristics of each region, including the capacity to adapt to new climatic conditions and the sensitivity to climate change, which depend not only on natural, but also socioeconomic and legal factors. Accurate vulnerability assessments therefore need to combine information about adaptive capacity and climate change sensitivity with projected exposure to new climatic conditions. However, most existing studies focus on specific impacts neglecting important interactions between the different factors that determine climate change vulnerability. Here, we present the first comprehensive vulnerability assessment of European wine PDOs that spatially combines multiple indicators of adaptive capacity and climate change sensitivity with high-resolution climate projections. We found that the climate change vulnerability of PDO areas largely depends on the complex interactions between physical and socioeconomic factors. Homogenous topographic conditions and a narrow varietal spectrum increase climate change vulnerability, while the skills and education of farmers, together with a good economic situation, decrease their vulnerability. Assessments of climate change consequences therefore need to consider multiple variables as well as their interrelations to provide a comprehensive understanding of the expected impacts of climate change on European PDOs. Our results provide the first vulnerability assessment for European winegrowing regions at high spatiotemporal resolution that includes multiple factors related to climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity on the level of single winegrowing regions. They will therefore help to identify hot spots of climate change vulnerability among European PDOs and efficiently direct adaptation strategies.

Magnesium (Mg) deficiency poses a significant challenge to viticulture, particularly affecting Welschriesling (WR), a key grape variety in Austrian and Central European vineyards.