Terroir 2016 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Irrigation and terroir: two opposite concepts? Point of view of international experts and french consumers

Irrigation and terroir: two opposite concepts? Point of view of international experts and french consumers

Abstract

At long term, qualitative irrigation seems to be the most systematic, if not the best, cultural practice for dealing with climate change and yield increases without decrease grape quality. Given this backdrop, the acceptance or irrigation within the frameworks of the terroir definition takes a central place. Consistently, the objective of this work is to evaluate this compatibility. Since irrigation is basically a social practice, it is important to understand it from a sociological point of view.

To meet this commitment, a qualitative questionnaire was implemented: standard personal interviews with no frequency (subject surveyed once) with a multi-topic research (omnibus research). 18 participants to the 19th GiESCO Meeting were selected as participants to the questionnaire. In a second instance, a quantitative questionnaire was evaluated: depth or intensive questionnaire with close-ended questions. In parallel, 512 French wine consumers participate to an Internet survey. This way, subject was approached from a twofold perspective: qualified researchers and French wine regular consumers.

Results show that surveyed expert seems to agree (in 63% of cases) with the idea of not changing a terroir by adding water under a controlled management of the water status in the vine. Level of agreement seems to be related with expert’s provenance and therefore expert’s observations in their local weather. Finally, concerning consumer’s approach, the level of implication in wine seems to play a role in accepting irrigation; consumers not implicated on wine don’t have a formed opinion whereas implicated consumers showed both; for and against a reasoned irrigation as a tool to deal against climate change. Moreover, within qualified consumers, age could serve for explaining the acceptance of irrigation: young (≤35 years old) and medium consumers (from 36 to 64 years old) were more likely to accept irrigation and a different grape variety to preserve wine quality.

Download the PDF

DOI:

Publication date: June 23, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2016

Type: Article

Authors

Santiago ALVAREZ GEI (1,2), Hernán OJEDA (1), Cécile COULON-LEROY (2)

(1) INRA, UE999 Pech Rouge, F-11430 Gruissan, France
(2) Unité GRAPPE, ESA, INRA, Comue UBL, 55 rue Rabelais BP 30748, F-49007 Angers, France

Keywords

Irrigation, Terroir, International experts, French consumers

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2016

Citation

Related articles…

Shoot positioning: effect on physiological, vegetative and reproductive parameters

[English version below]

On a étudié durant deux saisons de croissance (2002/2003 et 2003/2004) l’effet de l’orientation vertical des rameaux sur les paramètres physiologiques, végétatifs et reproductifs dans la région de Stellenbosch dans un vignoble du cépage Merlot sur 99 R conduite à espalier et taillé a cordon coursonné. Les vignes étaient espacées 2.7 x 1.5 m. L’irrigation a été appliquée quand la baie avait la dimension d’un pois et a la véraison.

Read More

USE OF COLD LIQUID STABULATION AS AN OENOLOGICAL TECHNIQUE IN WHITE WINEMAKING: EFFECTS ON PHENOLIC, AROMATIC AND SENSORIAL COMPOSITION

The application of different winemaking techniques helps to modify the basic parameters, phenolic profile, and aroma components influencing the final wine quality. In particular, pre-fermentative processes aim to increase the extraction and preservation of grape native compounds. Among them, cold liquid stabulation (macération sur bourbes) consists in maintaining the grape juice on its lees, in suspended condition at low temperature (0-8 °C) for a variable time (generally from 7 to 21 days). The aim of this work is to apply the cold liquid stabulation on two Italian white grape varieties, Arneis and Cortese, to evaluate the impact on basic parameters, color, polyphenolic compounds (TPI), antioxidant power (DPPH), total polysaccharides, and free and glycosylated volatile compounds (GC-MS analysis) during and after the process.

Read More

Immunotestπ: a new test for the determination of proteic stability in white and rosé wines

Proteic haze is a problem which may occur in all fruit-based beverages and fermented juices (beer, cider, wine). When it occurs, the economic loss is important.

Read More

L’essor des produits “No-Low” : nouveaux défis pour l’étiquetage et la réglementation

In recent years, “no-low” products seem to become a new worldwide trend. It appears to be a possible answer to the well-known context of climate change, the decline in wine consumption, and the wellness/health trend (“free from” claims, vegan, and so on…) That consumers are looking for. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the “no-low” products sold in the french market (but not only french products), focusing on the labelling, packaging, and sales presentation of these products.

Read More

Sur la réalité du lien entre le terroir et le produit : de l’analyse sémantique à l’approche écologique

The reflections presented here are a synthesis of a set of research on the construction of a scientific logic concerning the relations between the terroir, the vine, the wine, and on the study of a product, the wine, considered as the resulting from many interactions between factors of various orders. This work has benefited greatly from discussions of an epistemological as well as a technical nature with all the researchers at URVV (Angers) and with our colleagues at the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine, over several years.

Read More