Terroir 2020 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Have the best Bordeaux wines been drunk already? A reflection on the transient nature of terroir, using case study Australia

Have the best Bordeaux wines been drunk already? A reflection on the transient nature of terroir, using case study Australia

Abstract

Aim:  The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the meaning of terroir should be regarded as transient. This is because climate, one of the principal components of terroir, is changing with time, and can no longer be assumed to be constant with fluctuations about a mean. This is due to the climate crisis.

Methods and Results: The paper reviewed a very recent climate modelling study of Australian grape growing regions (GI’s) especially for temperature. It included Mean Growing Season Temperatures (MSGT) for the present period (1997-2017) and two in the future, (2041-2061) and (2081-2100). The results were in line with several previous projections indicating warming and drying trends over the period. Present hot inland regions will be the most affected. Literature references indicated similar trends elsewhere in the world including traditional vineyard regions of Europe.

Conclusions: 

Results of the climate modelling for Australia and the rest of the world suggest the need for adaptive responses as the terroir changes. This will require changes to variety or of the region. The transition will be easier for presently cool regions than for presently hot ones, as more potential varieties are available. Some currently hot regions may become unsuitable for wine production. There is evidence that the optimum temperature conditions for present varieties in regions like Bordeaux have already been surpassed by climate change.

Significance and Impact of the Study: There is limited evidence to date that global wine firms recognise the scale of this problem and are planning to adapt. A good outcome would be that the world wine map might be redrawn, to feature some new regions and new varieties in existing regions. A bad outcome would be associated with failure to acknowledge or address the impending crisis.

DOI:

Publication date: March 25, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2020

Type: Article

Authors

Richard Smart*

Smart Viticulture, Greenvale, Victoria, Australia

Contact the author

Keywords

Climate change, terroir, temperature

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2020

Citation

Related articles…

MONITOR SOME KEY PARAMETERS THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OFCONTINUOUS CONTROL SYSTEMS OF THE MUST-WINE DURING MACERATION-FERMENTATION IN RED WINEMAKING TO MANAGE OPERATIONS IN “AUTOMATION”

This study is aimed to develop a complete tool for the winemaker with, complete and targeted “winemaking recipes” that can be adapted to criteria set by the winemaker, such as: grape variety, grape health status, degree of ripening, desired wine, redox status throughout the alcoholic fermentation.
To get such aim, specific sets of experiments using red grape juices from different varieties (Nebbiolo, Barbera, Pinot noir, etc.) collected at different technological and phenolic maturity points, will be held with “automatized 4.0 tanks” equipped with sensors for measuring: redox potential, dissolved oxygen, relative density, temperature, and color in order to collect a sufficient amount of data preparatory to the creation of operating models in the most widely winemaking situations in which the automatized 4.0 tanks “will be able to independently respond” with the right corrective actions (opening/closing aeration valve, execution/block pumping overs , etc.) if the key parameters exceed the limits of the recommended ranges set in the selected recipe.

Antimicrobial activity of oenological polyphenols against Gram positive and Gram negative intestinal multidrug-resistant bacteria

Bacterial antibiotic resistance is a major current health problem. Polyphenols have demonstrated antibacterial activity, and in this work we studied the effect of oenological polyphenols on the growth of intestinal multidrug-resistant strains of human and animal origin. Two Enterococcus faecium strains, resistant to vancomycin and other antibiotics, and four Escherichia coli strains, resistant to ampicillin and other antibiotics, were included in this study. All strains showed multidrug resistant phenotypes and genotypes to at least two antibiotic families.

The effects of cane girdling on berry texture properties and the concentration of some aroma compounds in three table grape cultivars

The marketability of the table grapes is highly influenced by the consumer demand; therefore the market value of the table grapes is mainly characterized by its berry size, colour, taste and texture. Girdling could cause accumulation of several components in plants above the ringing of the phloem including clusters and resulting improved maturity. The aim of the experiments was to examine the effect of girdling on berry texture characteristics and aroma concentration.

Terroir in Slovak viticulture area

Terroir method has been used for assessment of growing site in the world for years. In Slovakia actually regionalisation is used as the similar method which does not cover all the elements of wine quality evaluation however.

Effect of the addition of peptidic hydrolysates from grape pomace by-products to red wines in warm regions

High temperatures typical of warm climates cause the colour of red wines to become increasingly unstable over time.