Terroir 2016 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Sensory differences of Pinot noir wines from willamette valley subregions

Sensory differences of Pinot noir wines from willamette valley subregions

Abstract

Wines from different regions or AVAs have been found to have sensory differences, as these areas are typically located quite far apart and have dramatically different climates, soils and other terroir factors. However it is unclear if wines from different areas (sub-regions) within an AVA also show distinctive sensory characteristics. There is the thought that these areas are geographical closer and many terroir factors are more similar. The sub-regions in the Willamette Valley have some distinct differences due to soil, climate and topography. Anecdotally it is thought that wines from these sub-regions were distinctive, but differences had not been defined. Commercially available Pinot noir wines from the 2012 & 2013 vintages were evaluated for aroma and mouthfeel.

Five to six wines from each of the regions were used; Chehalem mountains, Ribbon Ridge, McMinnville, Yamhill-Carlton, Eola-Amity Hills, Dundee Hills, Heart of the Willamette and overall Willamette Valley . Wines were chosen as follows; (1) 100% of the grapes were from that sub-region, (2) wines were identified as sub-regional on the label and (3) wines were considered good examples through preliminary discussions and tastings. Experienced tasters (Pinot noir winemakers from the Willamette Valley) participated in the sensory analysis. Citation of frequency method was used to identify those sensory descriptors most important for each wine.

Sensory results were analyzed using multidimensional scaling and correspondence analysis. Wines form the sub-regions were found to have sensory differences. Specifically some aromas that characterized the sub-regional wines included blackberry, vanilla, red jam, earthy, blueberry and fig. Mouthfeel differences were also found although descriptors used were conflicting, which may be due to some of the difficulties involved with mouthfeel characterization. The sub-regional differences from the 2 vintages varied, as the weather from 2012 and 2013 were quite different. While an overall definition of terroir differences have not yet been determined, it is quite clear from the wines in this study that sub-regional sensory differences do exist for Pinot noir in the Willamette Valley. This information is important as it helps define quality parameters for each area and can be utilized for marketing and tourism.

DOI:

Publication date: June 24, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2016

Type: Article

Authors

Elizabeth Tomasino

(1) Oregon Wine Research Institute, Food Science & Technology, Oregon State University, Oregon USA

Contact the author

Keywords

Terroir, wine, viticulture, Pinot Noir, Oregon, sensory analytics, aroma compounds

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2016

Citation

Related articles…

Weather classification over the Western Cape (February, 1996 – 2000) and viticultural implications in the Stellenbosch wine district

Une étude préliminaire des situations météorologiques journalières a été réalisée pour l’Afrique du Sud et pour les mois de février (période de maturation des raisins dans la Province occidentale du Cap), à l’image de la classification synoptique réalisée aux latitudes tempérées en France (Jones & Davis, 2000), afin d’étudier les relations entre le climat et la viticulture à des latitudes plus basses.

High pressure homogenization of wine lees. A tool to streamline the management of wine ageing

Aging on lees (AOL) has been used for wine aging for a long time, thanks to its ability to modify wine composition, improving sensory characteristics and stability. However, the prolonged contact with fermentation lees may increase the risk of developing sensory defects, due to the growth of unwanted microorganisms. Furthermore, AOL requires a large amount of work to manage bâtonnage and for topping up the barrels, significantly increasing production costs.

Contribution of soil and atmospheric conditions to leaf water potential in grapevines

Etant lié au sol et aux conditions atmosphériques, le statut hydrique influence la physiologie de la vigne d’une part, mais joue aussi un role important en ce qui concerne la qualité du raisin et donc du vin d’autre part. Nous avons mesuré, dans la région de Stellenbosch, le statut hydrique sur des pieds de Sauvignon Blanc non irrigués, implantés sur 2 terroirs différents, l’un froid, l’autre plus chaud.

Un “GIS” agronomico per l’area a DOC dei Colli Euganei

L’area a “Denominazione di Origine Controllata Colli Euganei”, riconosciuta con Dpr 13 agosto 1969, è situata a sud-ovest della Provincia di Padova (fig. 1) ed è costituita da un sis­tema collinare di nuclei vulcanici evolutosi morfologicamente.

Piloting grape ripening in a global warming scenario: feasible techniques are available

Under the pressure of global warming, several wine grape growing regions around the world are increasingly suffering from advanced and compressed phenology; endangering wine character while also creating serious logistic problems. From a physiological standpoint, the issue of delaying ripening is not simple as, in several instances, only a few processes must be delayed (i.e. sugar accumulation into the berries) while other events such as pigmentation and accumulation of other important phenolic compounds should proceed at a normal rate. Thus, the issue of decoupling technological maturity from phenolic maturity is another important consideration. Over the last decades, several research groups have endeavored to establish alternate cultural practices aimed at addressing this decoupling. In some cases, special applications of quite robust and well known practices regarding physiological principles have been utilized, however some completely new techniques are also being studied. In figure 1 of the review, we offer a panorama of the available tools and in the text we elaborate on those having provided most reliable and consistent results under an array of genotypes and environmental conditions. Among these, primary focus is given to post‐veraison—apical to the cluster—leaf removal (that can also be suitably replaced by applications of anti‐transpirants); the use of kaolin against multiple summers’ stresses; and a drastic version of late winter pruning having the potential to postpone ripening into a cooler period with improved grape composition and a limited negative impact on yield and storage reserves replenishment.