Terroir 2012 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 An internet-based gis application for vineyard site assessment in the U.S. and matching grape variety to site

An internet-based gis application for vineyard site assessment in the U.S. and matching grape variety to site

Abstract

Vineyard site selection and determination of adapted grape varieties for a site are the most fundamental factors contributing to vineyard success, but can be challenging to ascertain, especially in developing wine regions. The objective of this research is to demonstrate, and describe the development of an internet based, scientifically objective tool to facilitate vineyard site assessment and grape variety selection in the US. The core of this tool is a spatially explicit environmental database relevant to wine grape production including climate, soil and topography data. The climate summaries are sourced from the U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The daily elements included in our dataset are maximum temperature, minimum temperature, mean temperature, dew point, precipitation, and elevation for 1929 to present. Similarly, our soil database is derived from the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database for the continental U.S.A and the Harmonized World Soil Database for global soil data. Parameters include soil texture, pH, soil depth, water holding capacity, etc. This database was used to derive established and novel environmental indices relevant to grape production. The indices were used as inputs to mathematical and statistical models to examine the relationship between environmental factors and variety production in selected established growing regions. Finally, we incorporated both the environmental database, and the site/varietal selection models into a web-based site and grape variety selection tool. This tool enables a potential wine grape grower to either determine varieties most suited to a particular site or delineate areas most suitable for growing a particular grape variety.

DOI:

Publication date: October 1, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2012

Type: Article

Authors

Elvis TAKOW (1), Edward W. HELLMAN (2), Andrew G. BIRT (1),
Maria D. TCHAKERIAN (1), Robert N. COULSON (1)

(1) Knowledge Engineering Laboratory, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 USA
(2) Texas A&M University, AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1102 East FM 1294, Lubbock, TX 79403 USA; Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University

Contact the author

Keywords

GIS, viticulture and site sélection

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2012

Citation

Related articles…

The science of fungi in grapevine: An essential new book covering all aspects of fungi in viticulture

Grapevine is one of the world’s most important cultivated plants, domesticated from the wild vine over 11,000 years ago. The fungi associated with it are doubtless as old as the plant itself. Despite their co-evolution with the vine over the centuries, it was only with the invention of the microscope in the seventeenth century that fungi started to be recognised.

Novel insights into Passito wines aroma typicality. Rationalizing the markers of varietal and geographical origin of Amarone DOCG

Valpolicella is a famous Italian wine-producing region (Paronetto & Dellaglio, 2011), whose main characteristic is the extensive use of the post-harvest withering technique, which takes place in naturally ventilated rooms called ‘fruttai’ (Bellincontro et al., 2016).

Analysing consumers’ decision-making process for non-alcoholic spirit drinks and dehalcolized aromatized wines 

In recent years, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is changing, driven by evolving consumer preferences and societal trends, including a wave of health consciousness. Among these changes, the emergence and proliferation of nolo (no alcohol/low alcohol) alcoholic beverages have gained significant attention within the industry. Nolo alcohol beverages are produced to emulate the appearance, aroma, and taste of alcoholic beverages, potentially facilitating a sense of social integration when consuming a product that closely resembles alcohol.

How do different oak treatment affect the sensory composition of Chenin blanc wines over time?

Wooden barrels have been the preferred method for oak maturation for wines, but the use of alternative oak products, such as staves and oak chips have increased in South Africa due to lower production costs. This study investigated the effect of different oak products used during fermentation and ageing on the sensory profile, degree of liking and perceived quality of a South African Chenin blanc wine. The different wine treatments included an unoaked tank control wine, wines matured in 5th fill barrels, wines matured in new barrels from three different cooperages, and wines matured in 5th fill barrels with stave inserts from two different cooperages.

Monitoring grapevine water status using Landsat 8 images: a two-year case study in a Merlot vineyard

Viticulture needs for spatial and temporal information are increasing to improve vineyard management, especially concerning water efficiency. Remote sensing, particularly from satellites, can be a powerful tool to assess vineyard characteristics such as vigor or water status in space-time. In this study, we use Landsat 8, an American Earth observation satellite with six bands from the visible (VIS) to the Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) domains with 30m spatial resolution and two thermal bands with 100m spatial resolution.