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

Winegrowers must adapt more and more their viticultural practices in order to evolve toward a sustainable viticulture, to be competitive and to improve both the production methods and the quality and typicalness of wines. In this context, ‘Terroir’ studies in Loire Valley vineyards have allowed to build decision aid maps that can be used directly by growers to adjust their practices.

Vines are exposed to environmental conditions that cause abiotic stress on the plants (drought, nutrient and mineral deficits, salinity, etc.). Polyamines are growth regulators involved in various physiological processes, as in abiotic plant stress responses. Stressful conditions can modify grape’s composition, and in this work, we have focused on studying the effect of abiotic stress on the composition of polyamines and amino acids in grapes. In addition, the effect of grape variety on these compounds has been studied.

Sustainable viticulture and winemaking continue to represent huge challenges, where a better knowledge about the functional role of biodiversity in the vineyard and wine ecosystems is required, as well as the varieties plasticity. Particular attention should be devoted to the spatial and temporal interactions between authorized or recommended varieties for a specific demarcated region and clime and vineyard conditions (such as soil type, orientation of the lines, age of the vine, density of planting, harvesting practices, among others).

Different terroirs have been identified in Bolgheri area (a viticultural appellation in the Tirrenian coast of Tuscany) by the aid of pedological, landscape and agronomic observations in 1993. Numerous preliminary observations suggested that wines obtained from these different terroirs were unique.

Context. Botrytis bunch rot occurrence is the most important limitation for the wine industry in humid climate viticulture.