The wine country, between landscape and promoting tool. The example of Chinon and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil vineyards (France)

Several Uruguayan wineries have begun to produce wines with minimal intervention, to increase the sustainability of their vineyards and wines. These wines are characterized by the minimum intervention in the management of the vineyard, its harvest, vinification, conservation and aging1,2. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is not used or is used in reduced doses, although chitosan can be substituted or supplemented1. The objective of this research is to evaluate SO2 reduction or replacement options adapted to the production of Tannat red wines with minimal intervention. Vinification of the Tannat grapes with autochthonous yeasts (LN) was carried out during the 2023 vintage.

Grapevine vigour, defined as the propensity to assimilate, store and/or use non-structural sugars for allowing fast growth of shoots and producing large canopies[1], is crucial to optimize vineyard management. Recently, a model has been proposed for predicting the vigor of young grapevines through the measurement of the vegetative growth and physiological parameters, such as water status and gas exchange[2]. Our objectives were (1) to explore the influence of the association of two grapevine varieties (Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, grafted onto R110 rootstocks) with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the vegetative vigour of young plants; and (2) to assess the effect of environmental factors linked to climate change on the vegetative vigour of Cabernet Sauvignon.

The viticulture of the Douro Delimited Region, one of the heirs of ancestral viticulture, traditionally empirical and of quality, while integrating modernity and contemporary tools, respects and has always present the principles on which it was developed.

Over the past 70 years, scientific literature has consistently illustrated the advantageous effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) on plant growth and stress tolerance. Recent reviews not only reaffirm these findings but also underscore the pivotal role of AMF in ensuring the sustainability of viticulture. In fact, various companies actively promote commercial inoculants based on AMF as biofertilizers or biostimulants for sustainable viticulture. However, despite the touted benefits of these products, the consistent effectiveness of AMF inoculants in real-world field conditions remains uncertain.

The components and methodology for characterization of the terroir have been described by Gómez-Miguel & Sotés (1993-2014, 2003) and Gómez-Miguel (2011) taking into account the full range of environmental factors (i.e: climate, lithology, vegetation, topography, soils, altitude, etc.), landscape variables (derived from photo-interpretation and a digital elevation model), and specific variables to the country’s viticulture (i.e: size and distribution of the vineyards, varieties, phenology, productivity, quality, designation regulations, etc.).