Vineyard soil mapping to optimise wine quality: from ‘terroir’ characterisation to vineyard management

Spain is one of the main producers of high-quality fortified wines. Particularly some of them elaborated in Andalusia have acquired a great prestige for being unique due to their production in a specific geographical area with traditional methods, the grape variety used, the climate and the soil. Such is their distinguishing feature achieved that they have been protected by the European Union with the indication “Protected Designation of Origin” (PDO). Thus, there are four PDO of fortified wines in Andalucía (‘Condado de Huelva’, ‘Jerez Xérès Sherry’, ‘Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda’, and ‘Montilla-Moriles’). Furthermore, within each PDO,there are different categories according to their particular characteristics and winemaking conditions such as the aging process.

Fruity aromas, characterized by red and black fruit descriptors, are central to the identity of Bordeaux red wines [1,2]. Despite extensive research focused on identifying and quantifying volatile compounds that contribute to fruity aromas in wine, the mechanisms underlying their interactions and sensory perception remain poorly understood [3].

Leaf removal in the fruit-zone has been employed to improve cluster light exposure and ventilation and therefore increase metabolite accumulation and reduce botrytis incidence in berries. When applied before flowering (early defoliation – ED), it can also decrease cluster compactness and regulate yield in high-yielding varieties. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ED on the physiology and metabolism of Aragonez (syn. Tempranillo) berries along the ripening period. The experiment was set up in 2013 at a commercial vineyard located in the Lisbon winegrowing region.

Nemea region is the largest POD zone in Greece. Agiorgitiko (Vitis vinifera L. cv.) is the most cultivated variety in Greece with significant wine potential.

The quality of wines has often been associated with their geographical area of production. The aim of this work was to characterize Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Xinomavro red wines from different geographical areas of Amyndeon and Naoussa in Northern Greece, elaborated with variables that contribute to their differentiation, such as soil characteristics, altitude, monthly average temperature and rainfall.
Xinomavro fruit parcels from different vineyards within the two PDO zones (5 PDO Naoussa and 6 PDO Amyndeon) were vinified following a standard winemaking process. A total of 25 aroma compounds were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with simultaneous full scan and selected ion monitoring for data recording, and odor activity values (OAVs) were determined.