Terroir 2008 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 The Fontevraud charter in favour of the viticultural landscapes

The Fontevraud charter in favour of the viticultural landscapes

Abstract

The viticultural regions of the world have the advantage of a remarkable diversity of landscapes which are the reflection of the winegrowers’ capacity to adapt to the different geomorphological and climatic specificities of the terroirs, more generally speaking, this aesthetic and heritage aspect of the terroir is also part and parcel of the notion of sustainable viticulture.
But this cultural ecosystem is fragile. The modernity, in its functional approach, has often hidden this patrimonial wealth handed down by the previous generations, a heritage sometimes perceived as a hindrance in the face of the technological evolutions and economic requirements.
In this frame, the Val de Loire region initiated the first international symposium on viticultural landscapes which took place from 2nd to 4th July 2003 at the Fontevraud abbey.
As an extension, a charter has been drawn up in collaboration notably with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ecology, the National Institute for Controlled Origins, the International Organization of Vines and Wines with the support of the French Commission for Unesco and the International Council for Monuments and Sites.
This charter, perfectly appropriate for the European landscape convention, advocates knowledge and understanding of the evolution of the viticultural landscapes in their aesthetic, cultural, historical and scientific aspects. The charter combines a well-informed review of the landscape organization of these terroirs and a joint project of both professional structures and local communities, so as to finalize protective and upgrading actions, in the frame of a management scheme.

Related articles…

Effects of hormone- and natural-based elicitors at the transcriptomic level in berries of cv. Tempranillo

One of the most important effects of climate change in wine-growing areas is the advance of phenological stages, especially concerning early berry ripening. In the hottest seasons, this results in a lack of synchrony between sugar and phenolic ripeness. In order to cope with this fact, a general effort is being made by researchers and growers aiming at delaying ripening through different strategies. One of the proposed approaches is the application of elicitors. This study aims to assess the effect at the transcriptomic level of the application of three hormone- and natural-based elicitors in Tempranillo.

The pyramidal organization of AOC in France: a process of identification and valorisation of terroirs

English version: Result of their history, some famous French wine countries such as Burgundy, Bordeaux or Alsace, have a hierarchical organization of their Appellations of Controlled Origin (AOC): AOC regional, communal, Premier Cru, Grand Cru.

Molecularly imprinted polymers: an innovative strategy for harvesting polyphenoles from grape seed extracts

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease associating demyelination and axonal degeneration developing in young adults and affecting 2–3 million people worldwide. Plant polyphenols endowed with many therapeutic benefits associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties represent highly interesting new potential therapeutic strategies. We recently showed the safety and high efficiency of grape seed extract (GSE), a complex mixture of polyphenolics compounds comprising notably flavonoids and proanthocyanidins, in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of MS.

Pioneering dynamic AgriVoltaics in viticulture: enhancing grapevine productivity, wine quality and climate protection through agronomical steering in a large-scale field study

Context and purpose of the study. Climate change threatens traditional winegrowing regions, with about 90% of areas like southern France at risk by the end of the century due to heatwaves and droughts.

Impact of non-fruity compounds on red wines fruity aromatic expression: the role of higher alcohols

A part, at least, of the fruity aroma of red wines is the consequence of perceptive interactions between various aromatic compounds, particularly ethyl esters and acetates, which may contribute to the perception of fruity aromas, specifically thanks to synergistic effects.1,2 The question of the indirect impact of non-fruity compounds on this particular aromatic expression has not yet been widely investigated. Among these compounds higher alcohols (HA) represent the main group, from a quantitative standpoint, of volatiles in many alcoholic beverages. Moreover, some bibliographic data suggested their contribution to the aromatic complexity by either increasing or masking flavors of wine, depending of their concentrations.