Terroir 2014 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Terroir Conferences 9 Terroir 2014 9 Grape growing climates, climate variability 9 Harvest dates, climate, and viticultural region zoning in Greece

Harvest dates, climate, and viticultural region zoning in Greece

Abstract

Climate is clearly one of the most important factors in the success of all agricultural systems, influencing whether a crop is suitable to a given region, largely controlling crop production and quality, and ultimately driving economic sustainability. Today many assessments of a region’s climate comes from a combination of station and spatial climate data analyses that facilitate the evaluation of the general suitability for viticulture and potential wine styles, allows for comparisons between wine regions, and offers growers a measure of assessing appropriate cultivars and sites.

This research combines a spatial climate analysis in Greece with a temporal station and harvest date analysis in important Greek wine regions. The results show predominately warm to hot climate suitability in Greece, comparable to many other regions worldwide. While many viticulture regions have one primary class of suitability, variability of climate within regions can be significant, with some regions containing two to four climate classes, typically based on elevation or distance to the coast, making them suitable for a greater range of cultivars. For the temporal analysis the eight locations studied had marked differences in their general climatic characteristics, mainly between mainland and island areas. While trends varied for the regions, the general response was for greater increases in minimum temperatures compared to maximum temperatures, which resulted in significant trends in growing degree-days in most locations.

Harvest dates trended earlier in five out of the eight regions, and were mainly driven by changes in minimum temperatures. Significant trends in climate parameters and viticulture–climate relationships were more evident for island regions when compared to mainland locations. Moreover, areas with late ripening varieties were shown to be less sensitive to climate changes.

DOI:

Publication date: July 31, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2014

Type: Article

Authors

Jon Anderson (1), Paraskevi Dimou (2), Gregory V. Jones (1), Dionissios Kalivas (2), George Koufos (3), Theodoros Mavromatis (4), Stefanos Koundouras (5), and Nikolaos M. Fyllas (6)

(1) Department of Environmental Studies, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR, USA 
(2) Department of Land Resources and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece 
(3) Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, Mitilini, Greece 
(4) Department of Meteorology-Climatology, School of Geology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece 
(5) Laboratory of Viticulture, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece 
(6) Department of Ecology and Systematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece 

Contact the author

Keywords

Greece, climate, viticulture, wine, harvest dates

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2014

Citation

Related articles…

The impacts of frozen material-other-than-grapes (MOG) on aroma compounds of red wine varieties

An undesirable note called “floral taint” has been observed in red wines by winemakers in the Niagara region caused by large volumes of frozen leaves and petioles [materials-other-than-grapes (MOG)] introduced during mechanical harvest and subsequent winemaking late in the season. The volatiles, which we hypothesized are responsible, are primarily terpenes, norisoprenoids, and specific esters in frozen leaves and petioles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the volatile compounds which may cause the floral taint problem and explore how much of them (thresholds) may lead to the problem. Also, the glycosidic precursors of some of these compounds were analyzed to see the changes happening during frost events.

Aromatic profile of six different clones of Chardonnay grape berries in Minas Gerais (Brazil)

Aromas are one of the key points in food analysis since they are related to character, quality and consequently consumer acceptance. It is not different in the winery industry, where the aromatic profile is a combination of viticultural and oenological practices. Based on the development of more aromatic clones and on the potential to produce sparkling wines at Caldas, in the southern region of Minas Gerais (Brazil) (21°55´S and 46°23´W, altitude 1,100m), the aim of this work was the determination of volatile compounds in six different clones of Chardonnay grape berries to better understand which compounds add bouquet to the wine, and additionally comprehend the impacts of the edaphoclimatic and annual conditions on the improvement of grape-growing and winemaking practices.

Improving stilbenes in vitis Labrusca L. Grapes through methyl jasmonate applications

Grapes (Vitis sp.) are considered a major source of phenolic compounds such as flavonols, anthocyanins and stilbenes. Studies related to the beneficial effects of these compounds on health have encouraged research aimed at increasing their concentration in fruits. On this behalf, several plant growth regulators such as jasmonic acid and its volatile ester, methyl-jasmonate (MeJa), have demonstrated promising results in many fruits. However, Brazilian subtropical climate might interfere on treatment response. The present study aims to evaluate the application of MeJa in the pre-harvest period in Concord and Isabel Precoce grapes (Vitis labrusca L.).

Service crop effects on grapevine water and nitrogen status and yield under Mediterranean climate

Service crops in vineyard can provide multiple ecosystem services but they can also lead to competition with the grapevine for soil resources in the Mediterranean region due to potential severe droughts (Garcia et al., 2018). One of the levers of action to manage this competition is the choice of species adapted in terms of growth dynamics and water and nutrients’ needs. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of temporary service crops on grapevine water and nitrogen status and grapevine yield and yield components in a Mediterranean vineyard.

Impact of deficit irrigation strategies on terpene concentration in Gewürztraminer grapes

Deficit irrigation is a viticultural practice often applied to improve the phenolic composition of red grapes and wines. However, the impact of this practice on grape terpenes – key aromatics for several grapes and wines – remains largely unknown. This study investigated the impact of deficit irrigation strategies on free and glycosylated terpenes in Gewürztraminer grapes. In a field study conducted in Oliver, BC, in 2016, 2017, and 2018, deficit irrigation regimes were applied to Gewürztraminer vines at different developmental stages (pre-veraison = Early Deficit, ED; post-veraison = Late Deficit, LD; throughout the season = Prolonged Deficit, PD). A well-irrigated control (CN) treatment was also established.