Terroir 2014 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Terroir Conferences 9 Terroir 2014 9 Grape growing soils, topographic diversity 9 The effect of pedoclimatic conditions on the yeast assimilable nitrogen concentration on white cv. Doral in Switzerland

The effect of pedoclimatic conditions on the yeast assimilable nitrogen concentration on white cv. Doral in Switzerland

Abstract

Aims: Agroscope investigated the efficiency of nitrogen fertilization via foliar urea application at veraison with the aim of raising the YAN (yeast assimilable nitrogen) content in the musts. The observations were conducted on the white grapevine cultivar Doral (Chasselas x Chardonnay) in several pedoclimatic conditions of the Leman wine region, Switzerland, in the years 2012 and 2013. Knowing that the YAN in must plays a key role in wine quality, the aim was finding the main parameters affecting the final YAN level in order to better control them.

Methods and results: Five plots of Doral were chosen over 80 km of vineyards. Pedologic profiles were realised. Vegetal materials, date of plantation and cultivation practices were kept constant for comparison purposes. Each plot was divided in two treatments of 60 vines each: a control treatment and a nitrogen fertilized treatment (20 kg/ha as foliar urea applied at veraison). Phenological development, nitrogen status and grape maturation of vines were monitored. 50 kg of grapes were harvested in each treatment. Musts were analysed after crushing and then vinified separately using a standard protocol. Wines were then analysed and tasted by an expert panel. Strong vintage and site effects were pointed out. YAN levels in musts were significantly affected by nitrogen fertilization. YAN gain in must was 56 ± 31 mg/L average. YAN gain between control and fertilised treatments was globally higher in 2013. Some sites consistently presented higher gains. The soil seemed to mainly affect vine nitrogen status by its water holding capacity and its effective root zone depth. No correlation could be established between initial leaf N content and the variation of YAN gain. YAN in must was the parameter that best explained the positive variations in wine sensory characteristics, although not always significant.

Significance and impact of the study: This work has so far confirmed that YAN level in must, in relation to climate and soil characteristics, contributes to the terroir effect on the wine quality. YAN concentration is clearly influenced by pedoclimatic conditions (i.e. vintage and site). The study is ongoing in 2014 in order to better understand which parameters in the vineyard we could optimize with the aim of raising up the YAN level in musts.

DOI:

Publication date: July 31, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2014

Type: Article

Authors

Thibaut VERDENAL (1), Vivian ZUFFEREY (1), Stéphane BURGOS2, Johannes RÖSTI1, Fabrice LORENZINI3, Agnès DIENES-NAGY3, Katia GINDRO1, Jean-Laurent SPRING1 and Olivier VIRET1

(1) Institute for Plant Production Sciences, Agroscope, 1009 Pully, Switzerland
(2) Changins, 1260 Nyon, Switzerland 
(3) Institute for Food Sciences, Agroscope, 1260 Nyon, Switzerland 

Contact the author

Keywords

terroir, yeast assimilable nitrogen YAN, leaf urea fertilisation, wine quality, terroir

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2014

Citation

Related articles…

Extreme canopy management for vineyard adaptation to climate change: is it a good idea?

Climate change constitutes an enormous challenge for humankind and for all human activities, viticulture not being an exception. Long-term strategic changes are probably needed the most, but growers also need to deal with short-term changes: summers that are getting progressively warmer, earlier harvest dates and higher pH in musts and wines. In the last 10-15 years, a relevant corpus of research is being developed worldwide in order to evaluate to which extent extreme canopy management operations, aimed at reducing leaf area and, thus, limiting the source to sink ratio, could be useful to delay ripening. Although extreme canopy management can result in relevant delays in harvest dates, longer term studies, as well as detailed analysis of their implications on carbohydrate reserves, bud fertility and future yield are desirable before these practices can be recommended.

Short-term relationships between climate and grapevine trunk diseases in southern French vineyards

[lwp_divi_breadcrumbs home_text="IVES" use_before_icon="on" before_icon="||divi||400" module_id="publication-ariane" _builder_version="4.19.4" _module_preset="default" module_text_align="center" module_font_size="16px" text_orientation="center"...

Aromatic maturity is a cornerstone of terroir expression in red wine

Harvesting grapes at adequate maturity is key to the production of high-quality red wines. Enologists and wine makers define several types of maturity, including technical maturity, phenolic maturity and aromatic maturity. Technical maturity and phenolic maturity are relatively well documented in the scientific literature, while articles on aromatic maturity are scarcer. This is surprising, because aromatic maturity is, without a doubt, the most important of the three in determining wine quality and typicity (including terroir expression). Optimal terroir expression can be obtained when the different types of maturity are reached at the same time, or within a short time frame. This is more likely to occur when the ripening takes place under mild temperatures, neither too cool, nor too hot. Aromatic expression in wine can be driven, from low to high maturity, by green, herbal, fresh fruit, ripe fruit, jammy fruit, candied fruit or cooked fruit aromas. Green and cooked fruit aromas are not desirable in red wines, while the levels of other aromatic compounds contribute to the typicity of the wine in relation to its origin. Wines produced in cool climates, or on cool soils in temperate climates, are likely to express herbal or fresh fruit aromas; while wines produced under warm climates, or on warm soils in temperate climates, may express ripe fruit, jammy fruit or candied fruit aromas. Growers can optimize terroir expression through their choice of grapevine variety. Early ripening varieties perform better in cool climates and late ripening varieties in warm climates. Additionally, maturity can be advanced or delayed by different canopy management practices or training systems.

Impact of climate change on the viticultural climate of the Protected Designation of Origin “Jumilla” (SE Spain)

Protected Designation of Origin “Jumilla” (PDO Jumilla) is located in the Spanish provinces of Albacete and Murcia, in the South-eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, where most of the models predict a severe impact of climate change in next decades. PDO Jumilla covers an area of 247,054 hectares, of which more than 22,000 hectares

Phenological characterization of a wide range of Vitis Vinifera varieties

In order to study the impact of climate change on Bordeaux grape varieties and to assess the adaptation capacities of candidates to the grape varieties of this wine region to the new climatic conditions, an experimental block design composed of 52 grape varieties was set up in 2009 at the INRAE Bordeaux Aquitaine center. Among the many parameters studied, the three main phenological stages of the vine (budburst, flowering and veraison) have been closely monitored since 2012. Observations for each year, stage and variety were carried out on four independent replicates. Precocity indices have been calculated from the data obtained over the 2012-2021 period (Barbeau et al. 1998). This work allowed to group the phenological behaviour of the grapevine varieties, not only based on the timing of the subsequent developmental stages, but also on the overall precocity of the cycle and the total length of the cycle between budburst and veraison. Results regarding the variability observed among the different grape varieties for these phenological stages are presented as heat maps.