Terroir 2012 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Terroir Conferences 9 Terroir 2012 9 Ancient and recent construction of Terroirs 9 Kimmeridgian age in Chablis: a geological argument for the social building of a terroir

Kimmeridgian age in Chablis: a geological argument for the social building of a terroir

Abstract

Situated at the beginning of the 20th century on the territory of the Chablis municipality, delimited according to specialists of the time to plots of “kimmeridgian” origin, the vineyard producing Chablis wines has considerably extended as a result of challenges and internal conflicts. The reference to the Kimmeridgian age progressively lost its sense to finally disappear from delimitation criteria. The geological definition of the Chablis terroir actually appear as an unbiaised pretext hiding political, economical or social issues along with struggles for influence which lasted throughout the 20th century.

In order to shed light on human and social inputs into processes of normalization of terroirs via Appellations of controlled origin, we describe the different historical phases of the definition of the Chablis vineyard. We analyze the contribution of the geological argument put forward in front of judges, and then since 1935, in front of the INAO, while deciphering actor games, which as negociations go, were influential on the Chablis delimitation. We thus show that the input of a geological standard of the Chablis terroir is instrumental for negociations or social stresses within territories between professional syndicates, wine merchants, state agents or scientists, in reaction of economical, administrative or law contexts.

DOI:

Publication date: August 26, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2012

Type: Article

Authors

Éric VINCENT (1), Olivier JACQUET (2)

(1) Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité,16 rue du golf 21800 Quetigny
(2) Chaire UNESCO « Culture et traditions du vin » de l’Université de Bourgogne. Institut Jules Guyot, Université de Bourgogne BP 27877 21078 DIJON CEDEX

Contact the author

Keywords

Geology Chablis terroir building.

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2012

Citation

Related articles…

OENOLOGICAL AND SUSTAINABILITY POTENTIAL OF WINES PRODUCED FROM DISEASE RESISTANT GRAPE CULTIVARS (PIWI WINES)

The strategy for sustainability in the wine sector of the EU refers to a set of practices and principles that aim to minimize the negative impact of wine production on the environment, social and economic sustainability. Sustainable wine production involves a range of practices that are designed to reduce waste, conserve resources, and promote the well-being of workers and communities.

Wine labelling with the list of ingredients: context, consumer’s perception and future challenges

In this video recording of the IVES science meeting 2024, Stéphane La Guerche (Œnoppia, Paris, France) speaks about wine labelling with the list of ingredients: context, consumer’s perception and future challenges. This presentation is based on an original article accessible for free on IVES Technical Reviews.

Exploring magnesium defficiency in Welschriesling grapevines: A multi-omics approach to address viticultural challenges

Magnesium (Mg) deficiency poses a significant challenge to viticulture, particularly affecting Welschriesling (WR), a key grape variety in Austrian and Central European vineyards.

Prediction of sauvignon blanc quality gradings with static headspace−gas chromatography−ion mobility spectrometry (SHS−GC−IMS) and machine learning

The main goal of the current study is the development of a cost-effective and easy-to-use method suitable for use in the laboratory of commercial wineries to analyze wine aroma. Additionally, this study attempted to establish a prediction model for wine quality gradings based on their aroma, which could reveal the important aroma compounds that correlate well with different grades of perceived quality METHODS: Parameters of the SHS−GC−IMS instrument were first optimized to acquire the most desirable chromatographic resolution and signal intensities. Method stability was then exhibited by repeatability and reproducibility. Subsequently, compound identification was conducted. After method development, a total of 143 end-ferment wine samples of three different quality gradings from vintage 2020 were analyzed with the SHS−GC−IMS instrument. Six machine learning methods were employed to process the results and construct a quality prediction model. Techniques that aim to explain the model to extract useful insights were also applied.

Physico-chemical parameters as possible markers of sensory quality for ‘Barbera’ commercial red wines

Wine quality is defined by sensory and physico-chemical characteristics. In particular, sensory features are very important since they strongly condition wine acceptability by consumers. However, the evaluation of sensory quality can be subjective, unless performed by a tasting panel of experienced tasters. Therefore, it is of great relevance to establish relationships between objective chemical parameters and sensory perceptions, even though the complexity of wine composition makes it difficult. In this sense, more reliable relationships can be found for a particular wine typology or variety. The present study aimed to predict the perceived sensory quality from the physico-chemical parameters of ‘Barbera d’Asti’ DOCG red wines (Italy).