Grape ripening timing as a base for viticultural zoning: an agro-ecological approach

From a fertility standpoint, the vine has to extract from the soil mineral substances necessary for its existence. However, the amount of certain available nutrients does not always correspond to a proportional increase in quality.

Changes in the rainfall and temperature patterns affect the increase of drought periods becoming one of the major constraints to assure agricultural and crop resilience in the Mediterranean regions. Beside the adaptation of agricultural practices, also the microbial compartment associated to plants should be considered in the crop management. It is known that the microbial community change according to several factors such as soil composition, agricultural management system, plant variety and rootstock.

AIM: The current loss of genetic grapevine diversity is mainly due to the reduced number of varieties used for making wine. A way of preserved endangered varieties is the establishment of germplasm banks.

Context and purpose of the study. Climate change threatens traditional winegrowing regions, with about 90% of areas like southern France at risk by the end of the century due to heatwaves and droughts.

Wines from different regions or AVAs have been found to have sensory differences, as these areas are typically located quite far apart and have dramatically different climates, soils and other terroir factors.