Extreme canopy management for vineyard adaptation to climate change: is it a good idea?

Sémillon is a cultivated grape variety known for contributing to dry and sweet white wine production. However, only seven approved clones have been officially recognized in France[1]. In this study, we aimed to characterize the genetic diversity and metabolomic profiles of a Sémillon clonal population, shedding light on the potential variations within this important grape variety.

The paper discusses potential implications of New Genomic Technologies (NGTs) on European Plant Variety and Wine Law.

Context and purpose of the study. Daylength is a key climatic factor within the terroir concept. However, the complex interplay of multiple variables in regions with varying daylengths makes it challenging to isolate and investigate this specific factor.

Among the factors that influence the sensory quality, style, safety, sustainability, and sense of place of a wine, the contributions of microbial biodiversity are widely becoming more recognized. Throughout winemaking, multiple biochemical reactions are performed by a myriad of different microorganisms interacting in many ways.

The concept of terroir or sense of place is almost as old as the wine industry. It is generally used as an all-encompassing term to reflect the effects of the biophysical environment in which grapes and their resultant wines are produced on the character of those wines. Historically, terroir has generally been considered at the regional or property scale.