Relations between soil characteristics and must and wine composition in different terroirs of Emilia Romagna (Italy)

The French viticultural appellation areas are the result of an empirical, historical and evolutionary selection which, generally, has consecrated a match between natural factors, grape varieties and viti-vinicultural practices. The notion of terroir is the main basis of the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée in viticulture. It is based on the one hand on privileged natural factors and on the other hand on the know-how of the winegrowers; the whole allowing the production of a wine endowed with an authenticity and a sensory typicity. Wine-growing practices evolve according to progress in viticulture and oenology, while the natural factors of the terroir are much more stable, with the exception of the vintage. They therefore represent a fundamental pillar of the identity of an appellation vineyard.

It is well-known that there is a relationship between the “terroir” and the characteristics of grapes and quality of wines. However, adequate grape variety and other cultural factors should be also taken into account

Temperature extremes affect grapevine physiology, as well as grape quality and production. In most grape growing regions, frost or heat wave events are rare and as such conducting a risk analysis using robust statistics makes the use of long term daily data necessary.

This issue poses two questions: the relationship between beauty and taste (is landscape quality an index of wine quality ?), and the gap or the conformity between our image of the “terroir” and the visible reality. The landscape is both an object and a representation.

Background: Elaborating red-wines from grape cultivars with different polyphenolic profiles could improve wine color and its phenolic-dependent characteristics