Terroir 2016 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 The terroir of Pinot noir wine in the Willamette valley, Oregon – a broad analysis of vineyard soils, grape juice and wine chemistry

The terroir of Pinot noir wine in the Willamette valley, Oregon – a broad analysis of vineyard soils, grape juice and wine chemistry

Abstract

Wine-grapes in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, are grown on three major soil parent materials: volcanic, marine sediments, and loess/volcanic. This study examines differences in the soil properties and elemental chemistry of the soil parent materials at various vineyards to document their effect on wine chemistry. The physical characteristics of soils from all the three parent materials indicate: they are old (>50,000 years) based on their high clay content, low cation exchange capacity, red colors, and high Fe and Al content. In my study region, volcanic and marine sediment soils are more developed with slightly lower acidity than the loess/volcanic soils. A new finding for this region is the presence of pisolites (Fe/Mg concretions) in the volcanic and the loess/volcanic soils, but absent in the marine sediment soils. Volcanic soils have the highest P, S, Fe, Co, Mn, and V concentrations and the lowest As and Sr values.

Marine sediment soils have higher Cl and Sr and lower P, Co, Mn, Ba, and V concentrations than volcanic soils. Loess soils have the highest values of K and Mg and are similar to volcanic soils with higher P and V values and similar to marine sediment soils with higher Sr values. The main elements found to be significant in determining one parent material from another are V and Mn (volcanic soils), Mg and K (loess soils), and Sr (marine sediment or loess soils). Sr is slightly higher in grape juice and wine from vines grown on marine sediment parent material compared to volcanic and loess parent material, whereas Mn is higher in the juice and wine from grapes grown in volcanic parent material. P, S, Fe, Co, V, Cl, Ba, Mg, and K did not maintain their relative concentration levels from soil to grape juice to wine. The principal component analysis shows that soil and wine chemistry differs between parent material, but is inconclusive for grape juice chemistry.

DOI:

Publication date: June 23, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2016

Type: Article

Authors

Kathryn Nora Barnard (1), Scott F. Burns (1)

(1) Department of Geology, Portland State University, 1825 SW Broadway Avenue, Portland, Oregon., USA

Contact the author

Keywords

Pinot Noir, ICP-MS/AES, particle size, cation exchange capacity, X-ray fluorescence, clay mineralogy, grape juice chemistry, wine chemistry, soil chemistry

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2016

Citation

Related articles…

Climatic zoning of the Ibero-American viticultural regions

The Ibero-American Network of Viticulture, a component of the program of agricultural technology of the CYTED (Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development), is developing the project “Zoning Methodology and Application in Viticultural Regions of Ibero-America”.

The impact of acetaldehyde on phenolic evolution of a free-SO2 red wine

Some wine producers, in good years, can produce free-SO2 red wines and decide to add the minimum amount of sulphur dioxide only at bottling. To manage this addition

Effect of the plant sink/source balance on the chemical content of red table grapes (Vitis vinifera L.).

PPhloem transport of assimilates provides the materials needed for the growth and development of reproductive structures, storage and developing organs, and has long been recognized as a major determinant in crop yield.

Chemical profiling and sensory analysis of wines from resistant hybrid grape cultivars vs conventional wines

Recently, there has been a shift toward sustainable wine production, according to EU policy (F2F and Green Deal), to reduce pesticide usage, improve workplace health and safety, and prevent the impacts of climate change. These trends have gained the interest of consumers and winemakers. The cultivation of disease resistant hybrid grape cultivars (DRHGC), known as ‘PIWI’ grapes can help with these objectives [1]. This study aimed to profile white and red wines produced from DRHGC in South Tyrol (Italy). Wines produced from DRHGCs were compared with conventional wines produced by the same wineries. The measured parameters were residual sugars, organic acids, alcohol content, pigments and other phenolics by LC-QqQ/MS, colorimetric indexes (CIELab); and volatile profiles (HS-SPME-GCxGC-ToF/MS [2]).

Exploring the impact of grape pressing on must and wine composition

Pressing has a relevant impact on the characteristics of the must and subsequently on white wines produced [1]. Therefore, the adequate management of pressing can lead to the desired extraction of phenols and other grape compounds (i.e. Organic acids), aromas and their precursors, allowing the production of balanced wines [2]. This aspect is especially important to sparkling wine where the acidity and pH, and the content of phenols affect its longevity and the expected sensory character.