Terroir 2012 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Terroir Conferences 9 Terroir 2012 9 Ancient and recent construction of Terroirs 9 Everything else, it’s work ”Socio-cultural dimensions of terroir among Bordeaux winemakers

Everything else, it’s work ”Socio-cultural dimensions of terroir among Bordeaux winemakers

Abstract

In 2010, the OIV adopted a resolution that defines ‘terroir’. The OIV definition understands terroir as the result of the interactions between the physical specificities of a space and human labor, with an emphasis on the subsequently produced collective knowledge (OIV-VITI 333-2010); by doing so, it alludes to the social and cultural dimensions of terroir. On the basis of ethnographic fieldwork with winemakers in France and the United-States, our paper discusses some of these socio-cultural dimensions by focusing on specific vitivinicultural practices (pre- and post-harvest, such as irrigation, the use of fertilizers, fermentation, filtration, etc) and on the ways in which they intersect with winemakers’ conceptions and beliefs related to the space in which they work, to their profession, and to the good they produce, i.e. wine. This focus on meaningful practices, i.e. on the social and cultural dimensions of vitivinicultural practices, will help us understand the different dimensions of terroir, informed not only by science and technique, but also by the various (and often mixed) ways in which winemakers conceive of their professional activity.

Publication date: September 21, 2023

Issue: Terroir 2012

Type: Article

Authors

Sarah DAYNES1,*, Terry WILLIAMS2

1 University of North Carolina Greensboro
2 New School for Social Research, New York

Contact the author

Keywords

Vitivinicultural practices, Bordeaux, Sociology

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir | Terroir 2012

Citation

Related articles…

Spotted lanternfly, a new invasive insect in vineyards: is it a threat to grapevines?

The spotted lanternfly (SLF; Lycorma delicatula) is a phloem-feeding polyphagous insect invasive to the Eastern U.S.. Since its first detection in Pennsylvania (U.S.) in 2014, large infestations and economic damage (e.g., decreased yield, vine decline, greater pesticide use) have been reported in an increasing number of vineyards, threatening the sustainability and growth of the wine industry in infested regions. Our team has been investigating the impacts of SLF phloem-feeding on physiological processes, fruit production, juice, and wine composition of different grape cultivars, and also evaluated if the SLF can transmit important grapevine pathogens. In addition, we are working closely with stakeholders to better enumerate the economic damage caused by this pest. These findings will provide relevant information to grape and wine producers to help identify action thresholds and develop a more targeted integrated pest management program.

Mapping natural terroir units using a multivariate approach and legacy data

This work aimed at setting up a multivariate and geostatistical methodology to map natural terroir units of the viticultural areas at the province scale (1:125,000).

Climate change impacts on Douro Region viticulture and adaptation measures

Climate has a significant impact in the success of any agricultural system, with a direct influence on the crops suitability to a given region, interfering on yield and quality and also with the economic sustainability of the productive activity. In the Douro Demarcated Region (RDD), as in most regions of the Mediterranean climate, the scarce precipitation (33% has less than 600 mm per year), and your high variability, associated with high rates of evapotranspiration during the summer, is usually one of the fundamental factors that limit the grapevine development, as well as the production and quality of the harvest. Thus, facing the scenario in temperature changes for the next decades (1.5-2.5°C) and confirming the predictions of precipitation decreases and/or great variability in the occurrence of heat waves and intense rainfall, the consequences for slope stability in mountain viticulture and sustainability of all operations involved, are risks to be taken into account. In this way, a deepest and sustained knowledge regarding the adaptation measures to adverse environmental conditions is of a crucial importance, enabling a more efficient adaptation of plant growth conditions and the optimization of production and quality of the grapevines. The development of this work, carried out in two commercial vineyards, one located in Soutelo do Douro, São João da Pesqueira, Cima Corgo sub-region, and another located in Numão, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Douro Superior sub-region, it seeks to establish a relationship between climatic elements and physiological, productive and qualitative parameters, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation measures, including different types of deficit irrigation (2002-2019) and the application of shading nets (2019-2020) in the physiological, viticultural and oenological behavior in the Touriga Nacional and Moscatel Galego Branco varieties, respectively. The results showed that the application of deficit irrigation allowed to significantly reduce the impact of the adverse weather conditions at key moments in the development of the grapevine, particularly in the period immediately before veráison and maturation, reducing the negative effects on the physiological processes and productivity, without compromise the must quality parameters. On the other hand, the application of shading nets significantly reduced de leaves temperature, allowing to increase the water potential, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rate of grapes, which was reflected in the yield increase in the 2nd year of the study. For the maturation indicators, higher levels of total acidity, malic acid and assimilable nitrogen were obtained. The last measure presents a huge potential, being essential to carry out more years of trials to obtain stronger conclusions in terms of production parameters, but also in characteristics as important as the grape ripening components and the organoleptic characteristics of wines.

The relationship of wine store customers with the areas of production, considering provenance and tourism

This work aims at identifying the most appropriate marketing strategies to inform consumers of the global market about the added value of the wines of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Exploring the behavior of alternatives to montmorillonite clays in white wine protein stabilization

Visual clarity in wines is crucial for commercial purposes [1]. Potential protein haze in white wines remains a constant concern in wineries, commonly addressed using bentonite [2].