Terroir 2012 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Typology of Terroirs around the world

Typology of Terroirs around the world

Abstract

It seems implausible that the geographical development of the vineyards could have been affected by a shift in the positions of the Earth’continents that started 250 million years ago. At one end of the geological timescale there are landscapes shaped by men, at the other, there are monumental upheavals so slow that they defy the imagination. In fact, the succession of landslides, collisions, eruptions, and subductions that marked the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras and the Tertiary period was indeed the original source of the rocks and great masses that were then chiseled into shape 2 million years ago, at the start of the Quaternary period, to form the wine-growing landscapes that we see today. The study of these different phenomena allows to offer a classification, a typography of vitivinicultural terroirs across the world according to the history of geology and geomorphology of the different vitivinicultural areas.

DOI:

Publication date: August 26, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2012

Type: Article

Authors

Jacques FANET

Mas d’Arlenques 3 chemin des Combes d’Arlenques 34800 ASPIRAN – FRANCE

Contact the author

Keywords

Continental drift, geology, geomorphology, terroir

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2012

Citation

Related articles…

Simulated climate change in a Mediterranean organic vineyard altered the plant physiology and decreased the vine production

This study focuses on investigating the effects of climate change on the plant physiology and berries of Vitis vinifera cv “Monastrell” in a commercial vineyard managed organically in Southeastern Spain (Jumilla, Murcia). For this purpose, open top chambers and rainout shelters were employed to simulate warming (~2-7 ºC, W) and rainfall reduction (~30%, RR) respectively. Additionally, a combination of both treatments (W+RR) was employed. Vines without either top chambers or rainout shelters were considered as control (C). The experiment was established in February of 2023. Predawn leaf water potential (measured using a pressure chamber), stomatal conductance (assessed with a porometer at mid-morning) and leaf chlorophyll and flavonoid content (measured using the Dualex® leaf clip sensor) were analyzed at veraison (5 months after the installation of structures).

Aromatic stability of Syrah and Petit Verdot tropical wines from Brazil

The production of fine wines in the Sub-middle of the São Francisco River Valley, Northeast of Brazil, is relatively recent, about twenty-five years ago. This region presents different characteristics

X-ray tomography: a promising tool to assess the selection of good quality grafted vines

The production of grated vines is a complex process from grafting to final sorting in nurseries. To reach the market, grafted grapevines must meet three criteria by law in France: resistance to a manual graft union test (named thumb test), a minimum number of three roots and a woody shoot of at least 2 cm long.

Sensory and chemical profiles of Cabernet Sauvignon wines exposed to different irrigation regimes during heatwaves

Heatwaves, defined as three or more consecutive days above average historical maximum temperatures, are having a significant impact on agricultural crop yields and quality, especially in arid or semi-arid regions with reduced water availability during the growing season.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the quantification of terpens in wines

In a highly competitive worldwide market, a current challenge for the beverage sector is to diversify the range of products and to offer wines and spirits with typicity and character.

During alcoholic fermentation, wine yeasts generate a large variety of volatile metabolites, including acetate esters, ethyl fatty acid esters, higher alcohols, volatile fatty acids and volatile sulfur compounds that contribute to the aroma profile of wine. These molecules, refered as fermentative aromas, are the most abundant volatile compounds synthetized by yeasts and the metabolic pathways involved in their formation have been well characterized. Furthermore, other molecules with a major organoleptic impact may be produced during wine fermentation including terpene derivatives. However, little information is available on the contribution of yeasts to the formation of these molecules, in particular on their ability to synthethise de novo the terpens derivatives or to produce hydrolytic enzymes involved in the release of varietal precursors.