Terroir 2012 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Relationships between berry quality and climatic variability in grapevine cultivars from Piedmont

Relationships between berry quality and climatic variability in grapevine cultivars from Piedmont

Abstract

A major topic in viticultural research is the analysis of the relationships between climate on one side, and grape and wine quality on the other. It is well known that climatic conditions have a high impact on growth and development of grapevine and consequently on yield and quality. In particular, wine quality is correlated with bioclimatic indexes, which are based on air temperature and cumulated rainfall during the growing season.

This study was aimed at creating and analyzing a dataset containing berry quality data collected on 13 grapevine cultivars of Piedmont, and climatic and geomorphological data of the vineyards where berry samples were taken. Berry quality and meteorological data were collected from 1999 to 2010 and bioclimatic indexes were calculated over the vegetative growing period.

In a preliminary analysis, for each cultivar an ANOVA was performed, and significant differences among years as concerns total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity and pH were detected.

Pearson’s correlation analysis was applied separately for each cultivar, in order to perform a first evaluation of the relationships between climatic, geomorphological and berry quality data. As expected, significant relationships between berry quality and climatic data were detected. Such relationships changed from one cultivar to another. PCA was carried out to examine TSS distribution among the different areas, based on some climatic and geomorphological parameters. In particular, Huglin index, cumulated precipitation, number of thermal units, cumulated radiation, altitude, slope and aspect were chosen.

A multiple regression analysis was also performed and the regression coefficients were used to build synthesis maps, using digital layers for each cultivar, and applying basic GIS techniques.

DOI:

Publication date: October 1, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2012

Type: Article

Authors

Tiziana LA IACONA (1) , Simone FALZOI (2) , Andrea SCHUBERT (1), Federico SPANNA (2)

(1) Dipartimento Colture Arboree, University of Torino, via Leonardo da Vinci, 44. 10095 Grugliasco (TO). Italy
(2) Piedmont Region, Phytosanitary Service, Agrometeorology Sector. Via Livorno, 60. 10144, Torino. Italy

Contact the author

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2012

Citation

Related articles…

Vegetative dose heights ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ and its influence on fruit and wine quality

The leaf area is of fundamental importance so that the plant can realize adequate levels of photosynthesis for the accumulation of reserves and to reach a suitable maturation of
the berries. In this sense, the objective was to evaluate the effect of different lengths of the stalks from the first support wire, in the must and in the wine of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’.

The role of malolactic bacteria metabolism on the organoleptic qualities of wines

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are essential microorganisms in winemaking due to their role in malolactic fermentation (MLF) [1]. This process not only ensures the biological stabilization of wine through the decarboxylation of malic acid into lactic acid but also contributes to modifications in the chemical composition of the wine [2][3].

Influence of ‘pinotage’ defoliation on fruit and wine quality

Among the different management techniques in Viticulture, which have
been developed with the purpose of optimizing the interception of sunlight, the photosynthetic capacity of
the plant and the microclimate of the clusters, especially in varieties that show excess vigor, the management of defoliation presents great importance. The defoliation consists of the removal of leaves that cover or that are in direct contact with the curls, which can cause physical damages in the berries, and aims to balance the relation between part area and number of fruits, providing the aeration and insolation in the interior of the vineyard, as well as reduce the incidence of rot in order to achieve greater efficiency in phytosanitary treatments and quality musts.

The future of pesticide regulation in the EU – between precaution and proportionality

The article analyzes current developments in European pesticide regulation.

Red wine oxidation study by accelerating ageing tests and electrochemical method

Red wines can undergo many undesirable changes during the winemaking process and storage, particularly oxidative degradation due to numerous atmospheric oxygen intakes. This spoilage can impact organoleptic properties and color stabilization but this impact depends on the wine composition. Phenolic compounds constitute primary targets to oxidation reactions