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…

South American Creole grapevines: new varieties identified in the Caravelí Valley (Peru) and their aromatic profile

The valley of Caravelí (Peru) received the first vine plants in colonial times and the tradition of cultivation is maintained thanks to its terroir and artisanal techniques.

Exploring the presence of oligopeptides in wines into identify possible compounds with umami or kokumi properties

Umami is defined as a pleasant and savory taste derived from glutamate, inosinate and guanylate, which are naturally present in meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products. The term “kokumi” refers to a complex flavour sensation, characterized by thickness, fullness and continuity.

The effect of ecological conditions on the germination of pollen, fecundation and yield of some grapevine cultivars in Skopje region, Republic of Macedonia

The ecological conditions (climatic factors and soil) during the whole year, and especially before flowering and during the time of flowering, have a great influence on the functional ability of pollen, the pollination, the fecundation and the yielding potential of the cultivars of grapevine.

Non-destructive his based analysis for shelf-life evaluation of table grape 

Fast, accurate, and non-destructive analytical techniques based on hyperspectral imaging (hsi) represent effective tools for food quality evaluation. A visible change in the appearance of a fresh product often negatively impacts the perceived quality from a consumer’s point of view.

Inhibition of Oenococcus oeni during alcoholic fermentation by a selected Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain

The use of selected cultures of the species Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in Oenology has grown in prominence in recent years. While initial applications of this species centred very much around malolactic fermentation (MLF), there is strong evidence to show that certain strains can be harnessed for their bio-protective effects. Unwanted spontaneous MLF during alcoholic fermentation (AF), driven by rogue Oenococcus oeni, is a winemaking deviation that is very difficult to manage when it occurs. This work set out to determine the efficacy of one particular strain of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum(Viniflora® NoVA™ Protect), against this problem in Cabernet Sauvignon must. The work was carried out at commercial scale and in a winery environment and compared the bio-protective culture with the more traditional approach of reducing must pH by the addition of tartaric acid. The combination of both was also investigated. The concentration of both Oenococcus oeni and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum was determined using qPCR. The adventitious Oenococcus oeni showed the most growth during AF in the control wine, whereas in the wines treated with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum a bacteriostatic effect against this species was observed. This effect was comparable to the wines treated with tartaric acid. This has particular commercial relevance for controlling the flora in musts with high pH, or when the addition of tartaric acid is either not permitted or is prohibitive for other reasons.