Terroir 2014 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 The vine and the hazelnut as elements of characterization of a terroir

The vine and the hazelnut as elements of characterization of a terroir

Abstract

The research examines how two characteristic cultivations of a territory like the vine and the hazelnut shape the identity of a unique terroir: Langhe (North West italy). 

The two cultivations are part of important agri-food chains for the analysed territory and its economy, while they also model its landscape. 

The vine represents a Universal Value rooted in the landscape modelled by the human work and in the culture of the place; part of this culture is the entire wine chain, which manifests itself through the presence of several settlement and architectural elements related to wine maturing and winemaking techniques. Therefore the wine landscape of Langhe is the result of a “wine tradition” which has been moving and evolving since ancient times, making up the centre of the socio-economic life of the territory. 

In this context the crop of hazelnut, which has always been present as a complementary element in the food tradition of the area, is knowing a new interest in recent decades, nurtured by the important confectionary sector developing in the territory and well known at an international level. 

The inquiry has been conducted through face-to-face interviews with a selected group of wineries and hazelnut producers. 

The research work emphasizes how the choices made by the winemakers and hazelnut producers of the territory are the key element for the preservation and transformation of the landscape, true intangible asset of the terroir, and continue to represent the main axis of its economic development. This is achieved by diminishing on the one hand the production of wine quantity in favour of wine quality, while encouraging on the other the conversion of the land less suitable for viticulture to hazelnut crop, which is giving true added value to the territory.

DOI:

Publication date: July 31, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2014

Type: Article

Authors

Alessio Marco LAZZARI (1), Danielle BORRA (1), Stefano MASSAGLIA (1)

(1) Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari, Università di Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2,10095 Grugliasco (To),Italy 

Contact the author

Keywords

Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Dolcetto, Hazelnut, Landscape, Langhe, Terroir, UNESCO

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2014

Citation

Related articles…

From plant water status to wine flavonoid composition: a precision viticulture approach in a Sonoma county vineyard

Plant water status of grapevine plays a critical role in affecting berry and final wine chemical composition. The environmental variabilities existing in vineyard system have significant impacts on plant water status, but it is challenging to individualize environmental factors from the temporal and spatial variabilities in vineyard. Therefore, there is need to monitor the ecophysical variation through utilizing precision viticulture tools in order to minimize the separation in berry composition. This study aims at delineating vineyard into different management zones based on plant water status explained by soil texture, and utilize differential harvest to equilibrate the final berry and wine composition.

Soil survey and chemical parameters evaluation in viticultural zoning

The most recent methodological developments in soil survey and land evaluation, that can be taken as reference in the viticultural field, go over usage of the GIS and database. These informatic tools, which begin to be widely utilised, consent to realise evaluations at different geographic scale and with different data quality and quantity in entrance.

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. 

Nitrogen status of vines influences aged wines aromas. Examples of aged Champagne reserve wines and red Bordeaux wines

The sensory definition of the aging bouquet of red Bordeaux wines has been shown to be structured around seven main aromatic nuances: “undergrowth”, “spicy” “truffle”, “fresh red- and black-berry fruits”, “liquorice”, “mint”, and “toasted” (1). Some of these descriptors are also used to describe the aromatic notes of old Champagnes (2) suggesting common volatile compounds between these two types of wine.

Conventions and methods towards landscape quality: an application in the Douro (Portugal)

[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" text_orientation="center" custom_margin="65px||18px||false|false"...