Terroir 2010 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Terroir Conferences 9 Terroir 2010 9 Geology and Soil: effects on wine quality (T2010) 9 The geological and geomorphological events that determine the soil functional characters of a terroir

The geological and geomorphological events that determine the soil functional characters of a terroir

Abstract

The geology of a region is deemed to be an important component of terroir, as it influences the shape of the landscape and the climate of vineyard. The nature of rock and the geomorphological history of a terroir affect soil physical and chemical composition through a dynamic interplay with the changes of climate, vegetation and other living organisms, as well as with man activities.
This work is aimed at demonstrating that the soil functional characters which differentiate the terroirs of a denomination of origin area are products and witnesses of the geological and geomorphological events, natural and human induced, which occurred in that trait of land. The final scope being enhancing the awareness of stakeholders about the possible environmental and economic losses that can derive from an irrational soil management, which can lead to the worsening or loss of irreproducible soil functional characters of the best terroirs.
The work makes reference to the denomination of origin ”Vino Nobile di Montepulciano”, where a four years research was conducted on the relationships between soil characteristics and the viticultural and oenological behaviour of Sangiovese vine. The soils of the Montepulciano vineyard range notably in fertility conditions and functional characters, also when formed on the same kind of sediments, in particular as for water and oxygen availability. The grape production at vintage, as well as the organoleptic characteristics of the wine, resulted strictly interactive with the different soils. The wines obtained on a first group of soils had a good structure and typicity, but the stability of wine sensorial profile during the years was low. A second group exhibited good structure, typicity, and a good stability of wine sensorial profile. A third group had low structure, low typicity, and high astringency all the years of trial.
The oldest soils of the Montepulciano vineyard started their formation during the Pleistocene. During the medium Holocene, man deeply influenced pedogenesis, but it is during the last 50 years that the intensity of the man action reached its maximum. Pre-plantation activities of the new specialized vineyards upset the land, leaving very different effects on soil functional characters. Where the soils before vine plantation were deep and rather homogeneous, soil functional characters remained the same, whereas they changed significantly where soils were shallower. Shallow soils on marine clays, in particular, resulted very vulnerable.
Best soils for the Nobile di Montepulciano wine production, that is, those belonging to the second group, were old soils, formed as a consequence of particular natural and human induced geomorphological events. Therefore they should be considered cultural heritages.

DOI:

Publication date: November 23, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2010

Type: Article

Authors

E. A.C. Costantini, P. Bucelli, S. Priori

Agricultural Research Council, Research centre for Agrobiology and Pedology, p. D’Azeglio 30, Firenze, Italy

Contact the author

Keywords

Climate change, cultural heritage, wine, quality, Sangiovese, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2010

Citation

Related articles…

Acceptance of fungus-resistant grape varieties from the perspective of producers and consumers in Germany

Fungus-resistant grape varieties (frgv) are an important field of research in viticulture, as they represent a way of reducing the use of copper-containing pesticides and thus minimising the environmental impact. The literature suggests that resistant grape varieties are a promising solution to the problem of using copper-containing pesticides in viticulture and that their quality has improved in recent years. However, there are still challenges in the acceptance and dissemination of FRGV by wine producers and consumers.

Enhancing table grape production: addressing challenges and opportunities for sustainability and quality improvement

Table grapes, being consumed as fresh, raisins, and transformed products are among the most appreciated fruits worldwide. Its popularity is increasing also due to its organoleptic and nutritional qualities that meet the consumers’ interest in healthier foods. Recent data from International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) revealed that table grape production has doubled in the last twenty years, and varietal availability has increased thanks to the several breeding programs.
To maintain the socio-economic impact of this sector, new challenges need to be addressed.

Pacific Northwest wine regions and climates

This paper presents a review of wine regions in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of North America. The PNW consists of the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho and the province of British Columbia.

Permanent cover cropping with reduced tillage increased resiliency of wine grape vineyards to climate change

Majority of California’s vineyards rely on supplemental irrigation to overcome abiotic stressors. In the context of climate change, increases in growing season temperatures and crop evapotranspiration pose a risk to adaptation of viticulture to climate change. Vineyard cover crops may mitigate soil erosion and preserve water resources; but there is a lack of information on how they contribute to vineyard resiliency under tillage systems. The aim of this study was to identify the optimum combination of cover crop sand tillage without adversely affecting productivity while preserving plant water status. Two experiments in two contrasting climatic regions were conducted with two cover crops, including a permanent short stature grass (P. bulbosa hybrid), barley (Hordeum spp), and resident vegetation under till vs. no-till systems in a Ruby Cabernet (V. vinifera spp.) (Fresno) and a Cabernet Sauvingon (Napa) vineyard. Results indicated that permanent grass under no-till preserved plant available water until E-L stage 17. Consequently, net carbon assimilation of the permanent grass under no-till system was enhanced compared to those with barley and resident vegetation. On the other hand, the barley under no-till system reduced grapevine net carbon assimilation during berry ripening that led to lower content of nonstructural carbohydrates in shoots at dormancy. Components of yield and berry composition including flavonoid profile at either site were not adversely affected by factors studied. Switching to a permanent cover crop under a no-till system also provided a 9% and 3% benefit in cultural practices costs in Fresno and Napa, respectively. The results of this work provides fundamental information to growers in preserving resiliency of vineyard systems in hot and warm climate regions under context of climate change.

New tool to evaluate color modifications during oxygen consumption in white and red wines

Measuring the effect of oxygen consumption on the color of wines as the level of dissolved oxygen decreases over time is very useful to know how much oxygen a wine can consume without significantly altering its color. The changes produced in wine after being exposed to high oxygen concentrations have been studied by different authors, but in all cases the wine has been analyzed once the oxygen consumption process has been completed. This work presents the results obtained with the use of an equipment designed and made to measure simultaneously the level of dissolved oxygen and the spectrum of the wine, during the oxygen consumption process from saturation levels with air to very low levels, which indicate the total consumption of the dosed oxygen[1,2].