“Terroir” and climate change in Franconia / Germany

Abstract

Franconia which is a “cool climate” winegrowing region is well known for its fruity white wines. The most common grape cultivars are Silvaner and Mueller-Thurgau.
Franconia is a landscape of contrasts with various climatic conditions. The vineyard sites are located at a height between 120 m and 420 m above sea level on slopes and steep slopes as well as on terraces.
In favourable south orientated sites the maximum temperatures reach about 40° C (peak value year 2003), while winter frosts cause deep temperatures down to about -27°C (year 2002) in valleys or exposed sites.
At present, the Franconian winegrowing region is being affected by the global climate change. Several forecasts predict an average annual temperature increase of approximately 2°C for Southern Germany until the year 2050. During the same period an increased occurrence of temperature-related extreme events is expected.
In case of permanent increase of the average air temperatures and temperature-related extreme events, the cultivation of grapes on E, W and NW slopes could be considered appropriate to preserve the fruity character of traditional white wines.

DOI:

Publication date: December 3, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2010

Type: Article

Authors

Ulrike Maaß, Arnold Schwab

Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture An der Steige 15, D-97209 Veitshöchheim

Contact the author

Keywords

Vineyard Climate, Climate change, Terroir, Topoclimate, Microclimate

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2010

Citation

Related articles…

BIOSORPTION OF UNDESIRABLE COMPONENTS FROM WINE BY YEAST-DERIVED PRODUCTS

4-Ethylphenol (EP) in wine is associated with organoleptic defects such as barn and horse sweat odors. The origin of EP is the bioconversion reaction of p-coumaric acid (CA), naturally present in grapes and grape musts by contaminating yeasts of the genus Brettanomyces bruxellensis.
Yeast cell walls (YCW) have shown adsorption capacities for different compounds. They could be applied to wines in order to adsorb either CA and/or EP and thus reduce the organoleptic defects caused by the contaminating yeasts.

Comparative study of qualitative and quantitative characters of grape cultivar ‘Mavrodafni’ (Vitis vinifera L.) grown in different regions of the PDO Mavrodafni Patras

‘Mavrodafni’ (Vitis vinifera L.) is considered one of the oldest grapevine cultivars indigenous to the Greek vineyard, with western Peloponnese being its primary center of cultivation. ‘Renio’ is considered to be either a variant of ‘Mavrodafni’ or an altogether different cultivar. Both ‘Mavrodafni’ and ‘Renio’ can be found in the vineyards of the centers of cultivation, since ‘Renio’ is considered to be more productive compared to ‘Mavrodafni’, and for this reason, it has gradually replaced ‘Mavrodafni’ from cultivation over the course of time. The aim of the present study was to assay the mechanical properties, the polyphenolic content and the antioxidant capacity of skin extracts and must of berries coming from ‘Mavrodafni’ and ‘Renio’, cultivated in the same vineyard as well as in the different regions of cultivation of the PDO Mavrodafni Patras.

Global warming effects on grape growing climate zones within the Rioja Appllation (DOCa Rioja) in north Spain

Aims: The aims of this work were (1) to assess the changes in some of the main bioclimatic indices used for climate viticultural zoning within the Rioja Appellation area in the north of Spain between 1950-2014 (60 years), and (2) to carry out a comprehensive sociological evaluation among grapegrowers and winemakers of this region, to better understand the impact of climate change on their activity, their degree of concern about it and the potential adaptation measures they would be willing to adopt to cope with it in future years.

CropManage online decision support tool for irrigation scheduling of vineyards

CropManage (CM) is an online decision support service (DSS) developed by the University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources for assisting farmers with efficiently managing water and nitrogen fertilizer to match the site-specific needs of their crops.

Stem growth disorder and xylem anatomy modifications during esca pathogenesis in grapevines

Esca is a grapevine vascular disease with detrimental consequences on vineyard yield and longevity. Recently, esca leaf symptom development has been shown to result in the occlusion of xylem vessels by tyloses in leaves and stems, leading to hydraulic failure. However, little is known regarding the response of xylem anatomy and stem growth to esca in different varieties . Here we studied the impact of esca leaf symptom development on grapevine physiology, stem growth, and xylem anatomy in two widespread cultivars, Cabernet sauvignon and Sauvignon blanc.