Terroir 2020 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Preserving wine typicity in a climate change scenario: Examples from the Willamette Valley, Oregon

Preserving wine typicity in a climate change scenario: Examples from the Willamette Valley, Oregon

Abstract

Aims: Wine typicity is defined as a reflection of varietal origins, cultures and traditions of the wine. These aspects are many times also extremely important when considering a wines quality. However, as climate change occurs the typicity of wines may also change. With the long history of winemaking it is possible to define a wines typicity and how it has changed as climate alters. 

Methods and Results: This work investigated the typicity of Pinot noir wines from the Willamette Valley in Oregon over five consecutive vintages, 2012-2016.  Wines were selected that contained 100% Pinot noir from the specified sub-regions and the wines were made specifically to display typicity. Sensory analysis was conducted after the wines were in bottle for two years. Expert wine panellists participated in descriptive analysis to characterize the wines each year. While not all wines or panellists were available every year we had more than 80% similarity across all five sensory panels over the five-year study. Results showed that Pinot noir wines from the subregions did have overreaching characteristics, including those subregions that were known to be more variable based on topography and soil. The climate across the five vintages was varied. Oregon is traditionally considered a cool climate area but two vintages, 2014 and 2015 were significantly warmer and dryer than normal. Comparing the other vintages to these two as well as to historical information about Oregon Pinot noir show how climate does and does not affect wine typicity. Result showed characteristics that spanned all five vintages and agreed with historical information, while other characteristics were found to vary depending on the vintage.

Conclusions: 

While climate change has the potential to alter some aspects of typicity it was found it does not alter all aspects of wines typicity. Additionally, there are practices that can be used to mitigate climate change impacts to maintain typicity. 

Significance and Impact of the Study: Any understanding of how climate change can potentially alter wine typicity is needed to help the wine industry make decisions on their viticultural and winemaking practices as well as help determine long term strategies.

DOI:

Publication date: March 25, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2020

Type: Video

Authors

Elizabeth Tomasino* and Aubrey DuBois

Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States

Contact the author

Keywords

Typicity, Pinot noir, climate change, mitigation

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2020

Citation

Related articles…

Exogeneous C-S lyase enzyme, a potential tool for thiol enhancement in wine or beer?

Varietal thiols are considered for years as key aroma compounds in many wines. Their main origin is the cleavage during alcoholic fermentation of S-conjugate precursors present in grapes and musts, even if the levels of precursors already identified struggle to completely explain the levels of thiols found in wine.

Application of antagonistic Metschnikowia strains against Botrytis cinerea in vineyards 

Less and less chemical plant protection products are approved by the E U. Plant pathogenic fungi become increasingly resistant to the active ingredients that have been around for a long time. Besides, there is a valid demand for effective products that can be applied in organic cultivation.
We examined Metschnikowia strains under laboratory conditions in order to find effective strains against B. cinerea. The antimicrobial mechanism of these yeasts is based on the competition for the ferric ions from the environment. Metschnikowia cells release the pulcherriminic acid which chelates with Fe3+, forming the pigment pulcherrimin.

How to resolve the lack acidity in wines by better understanding of the adequation of grape varietal-terroir: Negrette grape in the terroir of Côtes du Frontonnais

Le manque d’acidité des vins est un sujet préoccupant dans de nombreux vignobles car l’acidité est un facteur déterminant de la qualité des vins, en liaison avec la nutrition minérale de la vigne.

Bunch placement effects on dehydration kinetics and physico-chemical composition of Nebbiolo grapes

Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG is a special reinforced red wine produced using withered Nebbiolo grapes. The withering process takes place in traditional rooms under natural environmental conditions; it starts immediately after the harvest and ends not before the 1st December of the same year. The process can be performed with different bunch placements that can influence the grapes features.The purpose of the study is to compare the effect on grape physico-chemical parameters for four withering bunch placement systems: hanged clusters (HC), plastic crates (CT), breathable mesh fabric on wooden frames panels (MF), and reed mats (RM). For all the systems studied, the withering length was two months at a temperature between 6 and 19 °C and a relative humidity of 41-88%.

How are canned wine drinkers perceived? An investigation involving Swiss nationals and different scenarios of outdoor leisure activities

This study examines how people who consume wine in cans are perceived in terms of their basic personality characteristics, helps understand the role of cultural background on people’s perception, and verify the role played by the consumption context on the perception. Our hypothesis is that prejudice and negative attitudes towards wine in cans might exert a negative effect on the evaluation of people who consume canned wine. To evaluate this hypothesis, the consumption of wine in cans was evoked in four different contexts of use during outdoor leisure activity (beach resort, ski resort, desert safari, and party). In order to examine the effect of culture on subject’s response we use participants from Switzerland, a country where three different cultures, associated with three different languages, cohabit.