Terroir 2012 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Geostatistical analysis of the vineyards in the canton of Geneva in relation to soil and climate

Geostatistical analysis of the vineyards in the canton of Geneva in relation to soil and climate

Abstract

Soil and climate maps at the 1:10000 scales exist for more than 12’000 ha of Swiss vineyards. The use of these maps as consulting tools for growers remains difficult due to the complexity of the relationship between terroir and the large number of grape varieties planted. The current distribution of varieties and rootstocks is the result of a long optimization process. This study aims at analyzing the relationships between grape varieties, soil characteristics and climatic conditions.
The study was performed on the 1365 ha of Geneva’s vineyards with 3885 digitalized parcels. The 19 grape varieties planted on at least 5 ha were matched with the soil and potential radiation maps. The surface of each variety-soil combination and the mean radiation were calculated for each parcel.

The analysis showed that grape varieties were primarily planted according to meso-climatic conditions. Late ripening varieties, like Syrah or Merlot, were always planted on parcels receiving higher amounts of radiation than those planted with Pinot noir or Gamaret. Minimum radiation was calculated for each variety. Traditional grape varieties (e.g. Gamay or Chasselas) were planted in all meso-climates, indicating that the warmest plots were not judged to be too warm for early varieties. Regarding soil characteristics, early varieties were more present on BRUNISOL, which mainly represented flatter areas of the vineyards (10 % mean slope) and late varieties on steeper areas (mainly CALCOSOL with 16 % mean slope).
The present study revealed actual practices and criterions used by growers to make planting decisions. It might indicate minimum climatic and soil requirements for a given variety in the canton of Geneva. Continued monitoring may show the adjustments made by the growers to correct unsuccessful planting decisions. The analysis of these adjustments provides useful information for vineyard consultants.

Download the PDF

DOI:

Publication date: October 1, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2012

Type: Article

Authors

Stéphane BURGOS, Elisabeth FORTIER

École d’Ingénieurs de Changins, rte de Duiller 50, 1260 Nyon

Contact the author

Keywords

grape varieties, soil, climate, terroir, SIG, geostatistic, Geneva

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2012

Citation

Related articles…

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with Tof-MS, a powerful tool for analysis of the volatomes of grapes and wines

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) has emerged as a powerful analytical technique for unraveling the volatile composition of complex matrices. This work will present three applications of GCxGC Tof-MS to the oenological field, aimed to identify novel biomarkers to be used in the quality control process of the wine industry. Comprehensive mapping of volatile compounds was conducted in a large sample of 70 sparkling wines, produced by 48 different wineries across 6 vintages and representative of the two main production areas for premium Italian sparkling wines (Franciacorta (FC) and Trentodoc (TN)), using HS-SPME followed by GCxGC-Tof-MS and multivariate analysis. Selection and identification of 196 putative biomarkers allowed clear separation of sparkling wines from FC and TN.

Read More

Biosynthetic evolution of galloilated polyphenols in Tannat grapes during ripening, potential applications of grape thinning

Galloylated flavan-3-ols are a class of polyphenolic compounds present in various plants, including grape seeds. These compounds are formed through the condensation of flavan-3-ols, such as catechins, although the precise mechanism by which gallic acid is incorporated into the molecule remains unclear.

Read More

The influence of native flora on Argentine white terroir cv. Torrontes Riojano

The main objective of this paper is to establish considerable differences between wines from three wine areas or terroir, made with cv Torrontes Riojano.

Read More

Under-vine cover crops in viticulture: impact of different weed management practices on weed suppression, yield and quality of grapevine cultivar Riesling

The regulation of weeds, particularly in the under-vine area of grapevines, is essential for the maintenance of grape yield and quality.

Read More

Performance of Selected Uruguayan Native Yeasts for Tannat Wine Production at Pilot Scale

The wine industry is increasing the demand for indigenous yeasts adapted to the terroir to produce unique wines that reflect the distinctive characteristics of each region. In our group, we have identified and characterized 60 native yeast strains isolated from a vineyard in Maldonado-Uruguay, in which three strains stood out: Saccharomyces cerevisiae T193FS, Saturnispora diversa T191FS, and Starmerella bacillaris T193MS. Their oenological potential was evaluated at a semi-pilot scale in Tannat must vinification in the wine cellar to have a more precise and representative evaluation of the final product.

Read More