Terroir 2006 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Soil or geology? And what’s the difference? Some observations from the New World

Soil or geology? And what’s the difference? Some observations from the New World

Abstract

Observational historical geology seeks to establish the evolutionary history of the surface of Earth. This approach is applicable not only to bedrock, but to the soft material that lies at the surface, the stuff called soil by most people. The geologic perspective provides a view of this material that is quite different from that of soil science, at least as practiced by many in America. Examples from the Walla Walla Valley of Washington and Oregon, and from the Napa Valley, illustrate the differences between these approaches. In Napa, correlation of grape character and viticultural realities with geologic observations suggests some underlying shared factor, perhaps drainage and water accessibility, but possibly influences of substrate temperature or microbiology. In addition, the geologic approach has proven useful in designing drainage and irrigation systems.

DOI:

Publication date: December 22, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2006

Type: Article

Authors

Jonathan SWINCHATT

EarthVision, Inc., 52 Cook Hill rd., Cheshire, CT. 06410, USA

Contact the author

Keywords

geology, soil, Napa, Walla Walla, terroir

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2006

Citation

Related articles…

Terroir in Tasting: A sensory approach for marketing fine Australian wines of provenance as memorable experiences

Aims: Establishing an image of fine wine through the Geographical Indication (GI) system is of interest to the Australian wine sector. Beyond provenance, the sensory experience of fine wine is often linked to consumption with appropriate foods. For this purpose, studies were undertaken to understand consumer perceptions of what

Management of grapevine water status with the DSS Vintel® provides evidence of sustainable irrigation strategies while maintaining wine quality of Pinot gris in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, NE italy

Deficit irrigation strategies can be valuable means to improve grape quality while saving important amounts of water. A simple way to use deficit irrigation can be based on irrigating a vineyard with a determined level of crop evapotranspiration. Using a precise physiological parameter indicating water status, irrigation could be managed to maintain a specific pre-dawn leaf water potential.

Diffuse light due to wildfire smoke enhances gas exchange of shaded leaves

The risk of wildfires is increasing as the frequency and severity of drought and heat waves continue to rise. Wildfires are associated with the combustion of plant materials and emit smoke. In the atmosphere, smoke may spread readily across large areas. Smoke is composed of solid and liquid phase particulates and gases and has been identified as a causal agent of “smoke taint” in wine. On a smoky day, the intensity of direct light decreases because these particulates scatter sunlight. Even though this effect is frequently assumed to decrease plant photosynthesis, this assumption ignores the potential changes in diffuse light and may be based on scant evidence.

Moderate wine consumption as part of a Mediterranean diet and lifestyle under debate

Moderate wine consumption – with the meals – represents one of the beneficial components of the traditional mediterranean diet (med diet) and a positive item in the med diet score [1,2, 3]. The med diet is considered one of the best diets in the world and the world health organisation (who) identified this eating pattern as an effective strategy to prevent non-communicable diseases (ncd), since it is associated with lower disease occurrence and all-cause mortality [4] . Numerous well-conducted epidemiological studies have also reported that light-to-moderate intake of wine/alcoholic beverages is not only related to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, but also to all-cause mortality.

Smoke exposure effects on red wines: how much is too much?

Increasing wildfire frequency in the United States has led to the indirect impact of smoke in vineyards, affecting grape quality and wine sensory attributes, commonly called “smoke taint”.