terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 OIV 9 OIV 2024 9 Orals - Viticulture, table grapes, dried grapes and unfermented grape products 9 Climats: a model of terroir-based winegrowing recognized by UNESCO

Climats: a model of terroir-based winegrowing recognized by UNESCO

Abstract

In Burgundy, a climat has nothing to do with the weather but accurately designates a named vine plot, often centuries-old, which produces a singular wine.  This wine is the combination of history, the natural environment (relief, type of soil, exposure to the sun), a grape variety and know-how going back thousands of years. The grapes of each climat are harvested separately and the wine is made from a single grape variety and has a unique name featured on the bottle. Romanée conti, clos de vougeot, montrachet, musigny, corton… Are all climats that express the specific micro-terroir of these parcels. The climats are the legacy of 2,000 years of winemaking tradition over which 1,500 different climats have been progressively identified, delimited, named and prioritized. Since 4 july 2015, the climats du vignoble de bourgogne are inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list as a “cultural landscape”, i.e. The combined work of humankind and nature. Inclusion on the world heritage list underscores the recognition of the climats du vignoble de bourgogne as a model of terroir-based winegrowing, unique in the world, and a cultural heritage, created by humankind for over 2,000 years.
Climats: un modello di viticoltura basata sul terroir riconosciuto dall’UNESCO

In Borgogna, un climat non si riferisce al tempo atmosferico, ma a una parcella di viti, delimitata e denominata con precisione, spesso per secoli, e che produce un vino singolare.  Questo vino è une combinazione della storia, di un ambiente naturale (rilievo, tipo di suolo, esposizione al sole), di un vitigno e di un know-how secolare. Ogni climat, raccolto e vinificato separatamente da un singolo vitigno, porta un nome unico che compare sulla bottiglia. Romanée conti, clos de vougeot, montrachet, musigny, corton… Sono tutti climats che esprimono il particolare micro-terroir di queste parcelle.  I climats sono l’eredità di 2.000 anni di storia della viticoltura, durante i quali le persone hanno gradualmente identificato, delimitato, nominato e dato priorità a più di 1.500 diversi climats. Dal 4 luglio 2015, i climats du vignoble de bourgogne sono stati iscriti nella lista del patrimonio mondiale dell’unesco come “paesaggio culturale”, ovvero come opera combinata dell’uomo e della natura. Si tratta di un riconoscimento dei climats du vignoble de bourgogne come modello di viticoltura basata sul terroir, unico al mondo, e di un paesaggio culturale che è stato plasmato dall’uomo per oltre 2.000 anni.

Climats : un modèle de viticulture de terroir reconnu par l’UNESCO

En Bourgogne, un climat ne désigne pas la météo mais bien une parcelle de vigne, précisément délimitée et nommée, souvent depuis des siècles, et qui produit un vin singulier.  Ce vin est le fruit d’une histoire, d’un milieu naturel (relief, nature des sols, exposition au soleil), d’un cépage et d’un savoir-faire millénaire. Chaque climat, vendangé et vinifié séparément à partir d’un seul cépage, porte un nom unique que l’on retrouve sur la bouteille. Romanée conti, clos de vougeot, montrachet, musigny, corton… Sont autant de climats qui expriment le micro-terroir particulier de ces parcelles.  Les climats sont l’héritage de 2000 ans d’histoire de culture de la vigne au cours desquels les hommes ont progressivement identifié, délimité, nommé et hiérarchisé plus de 1500 climats différents. Depuis le 4 juillet 2015, les climats du vignoble de bourgogne sont inscrits sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l’unesco en tant que « paysage culturel », c’est-à-dire comme œuvre conjuguée de l’homme et de la nature. C’est la reconnaissance des climats du vignoble de bourgogne comme un modèle de viticulture de terroir unique au monde et d’un paysage culturel, façonné par l’homme depuis plus de 2000 ans.

Publication date: November 19, 2024

Issue: OIV 2024

Type: Article

Authors

Gilles de Larouzière¹

¹ Association des climats du vignoble de bourgogne – 12 bd bretonnière  beaune France

Contact the author*

Tags

IVES Conference Series | OIV | OIV 2024

Citation

Related articles…

Circular viticulture: transforming grapevine waste into sustainable fibers

Annually, around 31.95 million tonnes of grapevine prunings are produced worldwide as agricultural waste.

Correction de la teneur en alcool des vins par évaporation partielle sous vide en cours de fermentation alcoolique

Climate change has become a reality that is becoming more and more apparent every day, with changes in the physico-chemical composition of grapes and an increase in the alcohol content of finished wines. These higher alcoholic degrees are not without consequences for the success of alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. Correcting the alcohol content (-20% of the initial alcoholic strength) is also part of an approach designed to meet consumer expectations for healthier, lighter or lower-alcohol wines (9 to 13% vol.). Correcting the alcohol content of wines also rebalances the mouthfeel by reducing the alcohol’s burn.

Automated red microvinification (1kg) adapted to the needs of varietal innovation

The creation of disease-resistant varieties adapted to climate change is a key challenge for the future of the wine industry. At present, the selection of these new varieties is essentially based on screening for genetic markers of resistance and agronomic criteria, due to the small number of vines available per genotype. Integrating screening for oenological criteria into the early stages of selection would speed up this process.

New ways of grape pomaces valorization: production of functional beverages or nutraceuticals

The wine industry generates each year 20 million tons of by-products. Among them grape pomaces represent a big part that can be considered as a source of potentially bioactive molecules such as polyphenols. Kombucha fermentation is an ancestral process which allow to increase the biological properties of tea by the action of a microbial consortium formed by yeasts and bacteria called scoby.

The evolution of italian vine nursery production over the past 30 years

Italy has a long history of viticulture and has become one of the world’s leading producers of vine propagation material. The Italian vine nursery industry is today highly qualified and has become highly competitive on a global scale. The quality of the material is guaranteed by compliance with European Union regulations, which have been in force since the second half of the 20th century and have subsequently been supplemented and updated.