Terroir 2006 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Terroir Conferences 9 Terroir 2006 9 Influence of vine water status (Terroir 2006) 9 The use of viticultural and oenological performance of grapevines to identify terroirs: the example of Sauvignon blanc in Stellenbosch

The use of viticultural and oenological performance of grapevines to identify terroirs: the example of Sauvignon blanc in Stellenbosch

Abstract

Identification and characterisation of terroirs depends on knowledge of environmental parameters, functioning of the grapevine and characteristics of the final product. A network of plots of Sauvignon blanc was delimited in commercial vineyards in proximity to weather stations at 20 localities and their viticultural and oenological response was monitored for a period of seven years. These experimental plots were further characterised with respect to climate, soil and topography. In order for this information to be of use within terroir zoning studies it had to be placed in a spatial context. This was achieved with the use of regression tree methodology, which determined the relative importance of the environmental and management related variables and regression trees for each dependent variable. A knowledge-driven model used the rules generated in the regression tree analyses to directly classify natural terroir units with respect to expected response of Sauvignon blanc in the Stellenbosch Wine of Origin District. The expected response of these terroir units was compared to data obtained from a separate network of Sauvignon blanc plots monitored during the 2005 harvest season.

Download the PDF

DOI:

Publication date: January 12, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2006

Type: Article

Authors

Victoria A. CAREY (1), Eben ARCHER (1), Gérard BARBEAU (3) and Dawid SAAYMAN (3)

(1) Department of Viticulture and Oenology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, South Africa
(2) Unité Vigne et Vin, Centre INRA d’Angers, 42 rue G. Morel, BP 57, 49071 Beaucouzé, France
(3) Distell, P.O. Box 184, 7599 Stellenbosch

Contact the author

Keywords

Sauvignon blanc, terroir, climate, soil, GIS

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2006

Citation

Related articles…

Reconnaissance des vins de terroir par les consommateurs

Approaching the notion of terroir wines at the level of consumption poses a problem due to the absence of a regulatory definition of the term terroir, which is not taken up either at Community level or at national level (the Consumer Code in particular does not define not the land). However, whatever definition is adopted for the terroir, we can retain at the consumer level an identification of the terroir through the different geographical mentions appearing on the labels or on the shelves of the wine shelf.
Read More

The vineyard landscape of the oasis norte of Mendoza Argentina. Economic assessment of the recreational use through contingent valuation method

Oasis Norte’s vineyards of Mendoza Argentina have shaped along their existence, a characteristic landscape; this area is close to Mendoza City

Read More

Development of a new lab-scale carbonation method for applications to sparkling wines

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the gaseous species responsible for the sparkle in all sparkling wines, influencing their
visual appearance, aromas and mouthfeel.

Read More

Outils de caracterisation et zonage des paysages viticoles: application aux vignobles français

Un paysage viticole est une relation entre des formes, dimension objective, et la perception que nous en avons, dimension subjective, émotionnelle. La viticulture n’est pas seulement productrice d’un vin, elle contribue également à façonner le paysage. Pourtant, jusqu’à présent, la connaissance des terroirs était principalement basée sur la caractérisation de leur aptitude à produire des vins de qualité.

Read More

Effect of mannoproteins extracted from Torulaspora delbrueckii on wine flavanol composition and on flavanol-salivary protein interactions

Global climate change is exerting an influence on vine phenology, leading to a decoupling of technological and phenolic maturity of grapes. This results in the modification of berry chemical composition, which can translate into wines with excessive astringency. The addition of mannoproteins (MP) to wine has been proposed as a way of mitigating this problem, since some studies have shown that MPs can modulate wine astringency. However, the mechanism underlying the astringency modulation effect of MPs is not well known and it seems to be dependent on the compositional and structural characteristics of the MP.

Read More