Terroir 2008 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Effect of soil type on Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet-Sauvignon wine style at different localities in South Africa

Effect of soil type on Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet-Sauvignon wine style at different localities in South Africa

Abstract

The wine producing regions of South Africa are characterized by climatic diversity. The Coastal Region has a Mediterranean climate, with a mean annual rainfall of c. 690 mm, whereas the Breede River Valley has a semi-arid climate with an annual rainfall of less than 300 mm.
Although irrigation is increasingly practiced, rain-fed vineyards are still commonly encountered in the Coastal Region. Wine styles differ in these vineyards. These differences are due, amongst other factors, to variations in climate and topography. They are also influenced by variations in soil type, notable with regard to water-holding capacity. In contrast to the Coastal Region, all grapevines in the Breede River Valley are irrigated. Under these conditions, in which the effects of soil type, and of water holding capacity, are moderated by scientific irrigation, wine style may be expected to be mainly affected by climate.
The aim of this investigation was to quantify the effect of soil type on wine style in rain-fed Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the Coastal Region, and in irrigated vineyards of the same cultivars in the Breede River Valley. Two experimental plots, representing different soil types, were identified within each vineyard. Experimental wines were prepared separately for each soil type.
Results showed that the styles of Sauvignon blanc, and of Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the Coastal Region, and from the Breede River Valley, were affected by both climate and soil type. The effect of soil type was moderated, but not entirely eliminated, by scientifically scheduled irrigation.

DOI:

Publication date: December 8, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2008

Type : Article

Authors

M.P. OLIVIER and W.J. CONRADIE

ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, Private Bag X5026, Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa

Contact the author

Keywords

Breede River Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coastal Region, Sauvignon blanc, South Africa

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2008

Citation

Related articles…

Methodology of climate modelling using land surface temperature downscaling: case study case of Gironde (France)

Aim: Climate modelling in viticulture introduced new challenges such as high spatio-temporal monitoring and the use of dependable time series and robustness modelling methods. Land surface temperature (LST) is widely used and particularly MODIS thermal satellite images due to their high temporal resolution (four images per day).

VitiCanopy to measure vine pruning mass and assess above ground vineyard carbon storage

The wine industry is increasingly focused on carbon accounting due to consumer’s demand and the industry’s goal of reducing carbon emissions.

Monitoring small-scale alcoholic fermentations using a portable FTIR-ATR spectrometer and multivariate analysis

Although some wine production processes still rely on post-production evaluation and off-site laboratory analysis, the new winemaking industry is aware of a need for a better knowledge of the process to improve the properties of the final product. Thus, more and more wineries are interested in incorporating quality-by-design (QbD) strategies instead of postproduction testing because of the possibility to early detect deviations in fermentation or any other wine process. This would allow to detect unwanted situations and eventually to ‘readjust’ the process, thus minimizing rejects.

For a phenomenology of terroir. A consumers’ perspective

This study investigates the notion of terroir by applying a phenomenological approach, focusing on the subjective experience of consumers. We will consider how terroir is described by consumers in order to gauge their subjective viewpoint and understand their way of describing and defining this spatiality.

On sample preparation methods for fermentative beverage VOCs profiling by GCxGC-TOFMS

Study the influence of sample preparation methods on the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profiling for fermentative beverages by GCxGC-TOFMS analysis. METHODS: Five common sample preparation methods were tested on pooled red wine, white wine, cider, and beer. Studied methods were DHS, Liquid-liquid extraction, mSBSE, SPE and SPME. VOCs were analyzed by GCxGC-TOFMS followed by data analysis with ChromaTOF. RESULTS: The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profiling results were very dependent on the sample preparation methods.