Reasoning a Terroir policy on the basis of the prospective study of the French wine sector

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a minor part of the solar spectrum, but it represents an important ecological factor that influences many biological processes related to plant growth and development. In recent years, the application of UVR in agriculture and food production is emerging as a clean and environmentally friendly technology.
In grapevine, many studies have been conducted on the effects of ambient levels of UVR, but there are few considering the effects of UV-B application on grape phenolic composition under commercial growing or postharvest conditions.

Prior to winemaking, organic or mineral nitrogen compound concentrations are usually measured in the vineyard and in grape musts. These indicators facilitate vine cultivation decisions, usually through yield or vigor. During vinification, yeast and bacteria metabolize nitrogen compounds in the musts in order to generate biomass. After fermentation, the microorganisms rerelease a part of this nitrogen as soluble compounds into the wines. Another part remains bound in the lees and can be lost during racking. The must’s natural nitrogen quantities, additional supplements during fermentation, and lees contact management enhance the release of nitrogen compounds to the wines. During ageing these nitrogen compounds – primarily the amino acids – are implicated in the generation of odorous compounds such as heterocycles(1).

“Terroir” has been acknowledged as an important factor in wine quality
and style. It can be defined as an interaction between climate, soil, vine (cultivar, rootstock) and human
factors such as viticultural and enological techniques. Soil and climate are the two components of the “Terroir” with an important role on the vine development and berries ripening. The present study is focused on the effects of the weather conditions and the soil characteristics on the phenological and berries ripening dynamics of the “Touriga Nacional” in Dão region.

Aims: This study aims to: (1) characterize the agroclimatic conditions of the Portuguese Denominations of Origin, using a compound index that combines thermal and soil water balance conditions and a high-resolution climatic dataset (~1 km spatial resolution); (2) categorize the main grapevine varieties as a function of this compound index.

To limit the acceleration of global warming we need to reduce greenhouse gases emissions (GHG), making our production processes more carbon-efficient and optimizing absorptions.