Can the use of rootstocks enhance terroir?

Most of the issues surrounding trade in wine and spirits focus on the fight against non-tariff measures.

Aims: Wine perceived quality lies on a number of different factors. Among these, sensory features, which are in turn dependent on chemical composition, play a primary role. There is traditionally a great emphasis on producing wines that have specific sensory profiles, particularly aroma, that reflect identity features connected to the place and the variety of origin. In the case of high quality

Climate change is challenging viticulture worldwide compromising its sustainability due to warmer temperatures and the increased frequency of extreme events. Grafting Vitis vinifera L.

Ecological sustainability refers to developing viticulture in adequate environmental conditions.

The crossings of three wild Vitis species are commonly used as rootstocks in wine production worldwide. Factors such as disease resistance and vigor are most important for their selection.
With climate change extending drought conditions and water limitations, the selection of rootstocks conferring increased tolerance to drought takes on greater importance. Therefore, identifying Vitis species with improved drought tolerance and incorporating them into breeding programs could contribute to more resilient rootstocks under water limiting conditions. Furthermore, those species serve as a valuable resource to increase genetic variability of rootstocks. We hypothesize that species native to drier habitats will exhibit superior physiological performance under drought stress.