Prospects for enlarging of microzone Manavi in the East Georgia

One of the characteristics of the terroir zoning studies that is more complex to manage is the scale dependence. Thus, terroir zoning studies of the same area at different scales are comparable but not equal. Fractal analysis has demonstrated to be a suitable tool to characterize and model natural elements within a defined range of scales.

Most European vineyards are managed under rainfed conditions, where seasonal water deficit has become increasingly important. The flowering-veraison phenophase represents an important period for vine response to water stress, which is seldomly thoroughly evaluated. Therefore, we aim to quantify the flowering-veraison water stress levels using Crop Water Stress Indicator (CWSI) over 1986–2015 for important European wine regions, and to assess the respective potential Yield Lose Rate (YLR). Additionally, we also investigate whether an advanced flowering-veraison phase may help alleviating the water stress with improved yield. A process-based grapevine model STICS is employed, which has been extensively calibrated for flowering and veraison stages using observed data at 38 locations with 10 different grapevine varieties. Subsequently, the model is being implemented at the regional level, considering site-specific calibration results and gridded climate and soil datasets. The findings suggest wine regions with stronger flowering-veraison CWSI tend to have higher potential YLR. However, contrasting patterns are found between wine regions in France-Germany-Luxembourg and Italy-Portugal-Spain. The former tends to have slight-to-moderate drought conditions (CWSI<0.5) and a negligible-to-moderate YLR (<30%), whereas the latter possesses severe-to-extreme CWSI (>0.5) and substantial YLR (>40%). Wine regions prone to a high drought risk (CWSI>0.75) are also identified, which are concentrated in southern Mediterranean Europe. An advanced flowering-veraison phase may have benefited from cooler temperatures and a higher fraction of spring precipitation in wine regions of Italy-Portugal-Spain, resulting in alleviated CWSI and moderate reductions of YLR. For those of France-Germany-Luxembourg, this can have reduced flowering-veraison precipitation, but prevalent alleviations of YLR are also found, possibly because of shifted phase towards a cooler growing season with reduced evaporative demands. Overall, such a retrospective analysis might provide new insights towards better management of seasonal water deficit for conventionally vulnerable Mediterranean wine regions, but also for relatively cooler and wetter Central European regions.

Dans une approche globale, nous proposons la définition suivante du zonage : “représentation cartographique associée à une sectorisation du territoire en zones unitaires homogènes à partir de facteurs discriminants établis sur la base d’indicateurs quantifiables et d’avis d’experts”. La première application de cette méthode a porté sur la caractérisation du terroir en liaison avec les aspects qualitatifs des vins. Il est également possible d’envisager d’appliquer cette démarche dans les stratégies environnementales et paysagères liées aux approches territoriales et aux pratiques viticoles. Cette méthode peut servir de base dans la mise en œuvre des outils financiers associés aux mesures environnementales (CTE, aides spécifiques).

Innovative solutions have been developed for winemakers to adopt in their cultivation practices [1]. Two of the implementations addressed in this study are the use of strains adapted to arid climates (AAC) and the use of varieties resistant to fungal diseases (PIWIs).

Wine aroma analysis can be done by sensorial or instrumental analysis, the latter involving several me-thodologies based on olfactometric detection, electronic noses or gas chromatography. Gas Chromatography has been widely used for the study of the volatile composition of wines and depending on the detection system coupled to the chromatographic system, quantification and identification of individual compounds can be achieved.