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…

From the current probabilistic approach to a deterministic production process, a clear step towards digital transformation in the wine sector

Currently, to consistently ensure the maintenance of a wine-style while benefiting from the utmost rigor made possible by the winemaking process, the composition of the wine blend is made using sensory control. This is performed after the wine is made with no real possibility of deterministic intervention.

Regenerative agricultural winegrowing systems play a role in refining the expression of terroir in the pacific coast region of United States and Canada

By definition, Regenerative Agricultural Systems seek to promote soil and plant health by using photosynthesis for the removal and retention of atmospheric carbon dioxide into stable soil carbon.

Terroirs and legal protection

Le concept AOC permet, par une délimitation précise, la mise en valeur de terroirs particulièrement adaptés à la viticulture. Seuls les terroirs ainsi identifiés peuvent produire des vins portant le nom de l’AOC. Le nom de cette AOC ne peut être utilisé que pour des vins issus de terroirs compris dans l’aire d’appellation, sous peine de sanctions pénales. La délimitation ainsi opérée participe à la protection du nom de l’AOC. A l’inverse, le terroir délimité n’est pas protégé.

Grape ripening delaying with combined use of leaf removal and natural shading in Manto negro (Vitis vinifera L.) under deficit irrigation

The increasing frequency of heat waves during grape ripening presents challenges for the production of high-quality wine grapes. This underscores the significance of developing effective irrigation and canopy management techniques to optimize both yield and grape quality.
A field experiment was carried out during 2021 and 2022 using Manto negro wine grapes to study the effect of two irrigation strategies and different light exposure levels on grape quality. In a four-block experimental vineyard at Bodega Ribas in Mallorca, two irrigation treatments—moderate and severe deficit irrigation—were implemented. Within each irrigation plot, three light exposure treatments were randomly assigned, encompassing exposed clusters from pea size, non-exposed clusters, and shaded clusters after softening.

The moment of preharvest elicitor application influence its final effect on winegrapes quality

Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites of grapes. Plants produce a wide variety of this type of metabolites through diverse biosynthesis pathways and their production is sometimes a response to external stimuli, either environmental or biotic stresses. Some of them may act as chemical defenses against pathogens or herbivores and their synthesis is increased when the attack exists. However, it is remarkable that the synthesis of these interesting compounds can be activated even when the stimulus is not present, with the use of elicitors. These are substances that when applied exogenously trigger the biosynthetic pathways conducting to the synthesis of these defense compounds.