Varieties and rootstocks: an important mean for adaptation to terroir

Aim: Early leaf removal, generally applied before flowering, is mostly conceived as a technique to control grape yield and improve the health of grapes and focused on the final objective of increasing wine quality.

ln the Mid-Loire Valley, in France, for the fast twenty years a network of experimental plots has been used to analyse the terroir effect on the behaviour of the Cabernet franc variety of grape. The study of the primary leaf area (SFI) for several vintages shows that it differs greatly from one terroir to another.

Context and purpose of the study. Fungus-resistant grape varieties (PIWIs) represent a significant advancement toward more environmentally sustainable viticulture.

The OIV[i] defines terroir as a concept referring to an area in which collective knowledge of the interactions between the physical and biological environment (soil, topography, climate, landscape characteristics and biodiversity features) and vitivinicultural practices develops, providing distinctive wine characteristics. Those are perceptible in the taste of wine, which drives consumer preference and, therefore, wine’s value in the marketplace. Geographical indications (GI) are recognized regulatory constructs formalizing and protecting the nexus between wine taste and the terroir generating it. Despite considering updates, GIs do not consider the nexus as a dynamic one and do not anticipate change, namely of climate. Being climate a fundamental feature of terroir, it strongly impacts wine characteristics, such as taste. According to IPCC[ii], many widespread, rapid and unprecedented changes of climate occurred, some being irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years. Climatic shifts and atmospheric-driven extreme events have been widely reported worldwide. Recent climatic trends are projected to strengthen in upcoming decades, whereas extremes are expected to increase in frequency and intensity, forcing wines away from GI definitions. Geographical shifts of viticultural suitability are projected, often moving into regions and countries different from current ones. Some authors propose adaptation in viticulture, winemaking and product innovation. We show evidence of climate changing wine characteristics in the Douro valley, home of 270-year-old Port GI. We discuss herein resist or adapt stances for when climate changes the nexus between terroir and wine characteristics. Using the MED-GOLD[iii] dashboard, a tool allowing for easy visual navigation of past and future climates, we demonstrate how policymakers can identify future moments, throughout the 21st century under different emission scenarios, when GI specifications will likely need updates (e.g., boundaries, varieties) to reduce climate-change impacts.

Kombucha is a non-alcoholic beverage made of sugared tea that is transformed by a symbiotic consortium of yeasts and bacteria. Polyphenols are expected to be responsible of several health benefits attributed to kombucha consumption, among other metabolites. This study investigated the impact of tea infusion time and of kombucha “fermentation”, on total phenolic content,