Terroir 2010 banner

Analysis of climate spatio-temporal variability in the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG wine district

Abstract

Local climate characterization is fundamental in terroir description, yet global change perspectives raise questions about its feasibility, since temporal stability cannot be no more assumed for the forthcoming years.
The objective of this work was to gain a better understanding of the climatic spatio-temporal variability of a grapevine growing area, and how this has changed during recent times.
Using as a case-study the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG wine district in North-Eastern Italy, we developed a methodology to downscale daily mean air temperature from the European Climate Assessment gridded dataset (E-OBS), to derive daily temperature surfaces at 500m spatial resolution. This allowed to analyse how the spatio-temporal variability affected grapevine phenology in the last 60 years.
The main results showed that, respect to the 1950-1979 period, the average Winkler index between 1980 and 2008 showed a +184 °C increase, with little spatial variation, as well as for the estimated dates for the main phenological events, which showed a generalized anticipation of about 2 to 5 days. More pronounced changes were observed on the interannual variability, which showed increases in both the average values and pattern of distribution.

Download the PDF

DOI:

Publication date: December 3, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2010

Type: Article

Authors

G. Fila, F. Meggio, L.M. Veilleux, A. Pitacco

University of Padova, Department of Environmental Agronomy and Crop Science I-35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy

Contact the author

Keywords

Grapevine, Climate Change, Temperature, Phenology, Downscaling, Spatial Interpolation

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2010

Citation

Related articles…

The influence of tertiary and quaternary deposits on the viticultural potential of the terroirs to be found in Geneva, Switzerland

The 1365 ha of the Genevese vineyard are located at the south-western corner of the Swiss plateau, between 395m and 505 m altitude.

Read More

Vertical temperature gradient in the canopy provides opportunities to adapt training system in a climate change context

Aims: The aims of this study were (1) to measure the vertical temperature gradient in the vine canopy in parcels with different vineyard floor management practices and (2) to analyze the factors influencing this gradient. The objective was to investigate whether the increase of trunk height could be an adaptation strategy to reduce air temperature in the bunch zone in a context of climate change. 

Read More

Evaluation of methods used for the isolation and characterization of grape skin and seed, and wine tannins

Validation of the phloroglucinolysis and RP-HPLC method showed selectivity and repeatability within acceptable limits for all investigated matrices. Recovery of polymeric phenols by SPE was also acceptable.

Read More

Key phenolic compounds in the pulp of new red-fleshed table grape hybrids: anthocyanins and flavonols 

The cultivated area of table grapes worldwide has experienced a paramount increase over the last two decades. In this current scenario, traditional varieties are being replaced by new cultivars that prioritize a profitable and sustainable agriculture, while satisfying consumer demands. It is widely recognized that wine varieties, especially those with red berry flesh, are renowned for their high antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds, which promote health. Recently, this topic has also gained significance in table grape breeding programs.

Read More

Using combinations of recombinant pectinases to elucidate the deconstruction of the polysaccharide‐rich grape cell wall during winemaking

The effectiveness of enzyme-mediated maceration processes in red winemaking relies on a clear picture of the target (berry cell wall structure) to achieve the optimum combination of specific enzymes to be used. However, we lack the information on both essential factors of the reaction (i.e. specific activities in commercial enzyme preparation and the cell wall structure of berry tissue). In this study, the different combinations of pure recombinant enzymes and the recently validated high throughput cell wall profiling tools were applied to extend our knowledge on the grape berry cell wall polymeric deconstruction during the winemaking following a combinatorial enzyme treatment design.

Read More