The Soil Component of Terroir

Valpolicella is an Italian wine producing region, famous for the production of high-quality red wines. A distinctive characteristic of this region is the extensive use of post-harvest withering.

The temperature increase related to ongoing climate changes is causing a progressive anticipation of the ripening time, negatively affecting grape quality at harvest.

The hill Somló looks like a huge island wich jumps out of the see, a few kilometers away from the slope of Bakony highland and on the edge of the Hungarian small plane.

Herbicides are commonly sprayed in the vine row to prevent competition with vines for water and minerals and to keep weeds from growing into the bunch zone. Sprays are applied before budbreak and reapplied multiple times during the season to keep the undervine bare. There is growing concern about the negative effects of herbicides on humans and the environment, and weeds in New Zealand have developed resistance to herbicides. Therefore, it is imperative that we reduce our reliance on herbicides in viticulture and incorporate methods that do not engender resistance.

While the ethanol and tartaric acid contained in wine lees are typically recovered by distilleries, the remaining solid fraction (yeast biomass) is usually disposed of, thus negatively affecting the overall sustainability of the wine industry.