Wine growing regions global climate analysis

Viticulture is entangled with weather and climate. Therefore, areas currently suitable for grape production can be challenged by climate change. Winegrowers in Italy already experiences the effect of climate change, especially in the form of warmer growing season, more frequent drought periods, and increased frequency of weather extremes.
The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of climate variability and change on grape yield in Italy to provide winegrowers the information needed to make their business more sustainable and resilient to climate change. We computed a specific range of bioclimatic indices, selected by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), and correlated them to grape yield data. We have worked in collaboration with some wine consortiums in northern and central Italy, which provided grape yield data for our analysis.
Using climate variables from the E-OBS dataset we investigate how the bioclimatic indices changed in the past, and the impact of this change on grape productivity in the study areas. The climate impact on productivity is also investigated by using high-resolution convection-permitting models (CPMs – 2.2 horizontal resolution), with the purpose of estimating productivity in future emission scenarios. The CPMs are likely the best available option for this kind of impact studies since they allow a better representation of small-scale processes and features, explicitly resolve deep convection, and show an improved representation of extremes. In our study, we also compare CPMs with regional climate models (RCMs – 12 km horizontal resolution) to assess the added value of high-resolution models for impact studies. Further development of our study will lead to assessing the future suitability for vine cultivation and could lead to the construction of a statistical model for future projection of grape yield.

The Institut Français De La Vigne Et Du Vin (IFV) is conducting many experiments on innovative winegrowing practices, which are emerging in companies in the sector, or which are still at the R&D stage for agricultural suppliers. The purpose of these practices may be to reduce environmental impact, to adapt vineyards to climate change, or to achieve other technical, economic or social aims. Whatever the objective, it is necessary to verify the relevance of these new practices, and in particular their environmental relevance, i.e. That at the very least, the changes in practices do not increase the environmental impact of the technical itineraries.

Les paysages participent à l’identité des vins de l’Hérault, avec une grande richesse de diversité. Leur observation, au travers des quatre saisons, s’appuie sur deux dimensions primordiales : la genèse de leur construction par l’homme et l’esthétique. L’hiver est la saison la plus favorable au décryptage de ce vignoble étagé, du littoral méditerranéen aux premières pentes du Massif Central; il permet de lire l’histoire des stratégies viticoles des vignerons. Les autres saisons sensibilisent plus à la beauté de vignobles dans des écrins de végétation typiquement méditerranéenne. La multiplicité des pratiques culturales et des cépages contribue à cet attrait. L’incitation au parcours, en toute saison, est très forte grâce au réseau des routes et des chemins de vigne.

Climate change is resulting in more dry and hot summers, accelerating grape ripening and increasing berry sugars concentration. This results in wines with a higher alcohol content, which has a negative impact on wine quality, as well as, on consumer health. Agronomic practices that minimize these effects on berry composition and, consequently, on wine quality must be defined. In this work, different management practices have been assessed on rainfed ‘Monastrell’ grapevines in Jumilla (Murcia, Spain) from 2021 to 2023 vintages. Mulching, shading, application of kaolin and different types of pruning were evaluated, among others field adaptation practices.

A soil management and vine irrigation trial was carried out for 4 consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 at agroscope’s experimental vineyard in leytron (Valais, Switzerland) with the Chasselas grape variety (clone 14-33/4, grafted on 5bb). Two types of soil maintenance (bare soil with chemical weeding and sown grass) coupled with two water regimes (with and without drip irrigation from flowering to veraison) were compared in a randomized design with four replicates of 10 vines each.