Terroir 2006 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Terroir and precision viticulture: are they compatible?

Terroir and precision viticulture: are they compatible?

Abstract

The concept of terroir or sense of place is almost as old as the wine industry. It is generally used as an all-encompassing term to reflect the effects of the biophysical environment in which grapes and their resultant wines are produced on the character of those wines. Historically, terroir has generally been considered at the regional or property scale. However, the recent development of Precision Viticulture promotes acquisition of a more informed sense of place by providing detailed measures of vineyard productivity, soil attributes and topography at high spatial resolution. Whilst associated research into vineyard variability lends weight to the concept of terroir in terms of biophysical impacts on grape and wine production, it also raises questions as to the scale at which terroir is a useful concept. These issues are explored using examples from the Padthaway and Sunraysia grapegrowing regions of Australia.

DOI:

Publication date: January 12, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2006

Type: Article

Authors

R.G.V. BRAMLEY (1) and R.P. HAMILTON (2)

(1) CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Food Futures Flagship and Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture PMB n°2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia
(2) Foster’s Wine Estates, PO Box 96, Magill, SA 5072, Australia

Contact the author

Keywords

Vineyard variability, spatial scale, Australia

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2006

Citation

Related articles…

Wine tourism in southern Italy: A surge in popularity and economic impact

Wine tourism has transformed from a leisure activity into a crucial part of the tourist experience, significantly contributing to rural tourism’s expansion in italy. It has witnessed a notable surge in popularity in recent years, evolving as a key motivator for travel (antonioli corigliano, 2002; brunori & rossi, 2000; città del vino & censis servizi, 2011; garibaldi, 2018; 2019a; 2020; montanari, 2009; romano & natilli, 2009). The allure of wine tourism, driven by sensory experiences and cultural immersion, continues to attract a diverse group of tourists. The economic impact is substantial, with events and festivals contributing approximately €2.5 billion annually.

Climate and the evolving mix of grape varieties in Australia’s wine regions

The purpose of this study is to examine the changing mix of winegrape varieties in Australia so as to address the question: In the light of key climate indicators and predictions of further climate change, how appropriate are the grape varieties currently planted in Australia’s wine regions? To achieve this, regions are classified into zones according to each region’s climate variables, particularly average growing season temperature (GST), leaving aside within-region variations in climates. Five different climatic classifications are reported. Using projections of GSTs for the mid- and late 21st century, the extent to which each region is projected to move from its current zone classification to a warmer one is reported. Also shown is the changing proportion of each of 21 key varieties grown in a GST zone considered to be optimal for premium winegrape production. Together these indicators strengthen earlier suggestions that the mix of varieties may be currently less than ideal in many Australian wine regions, and would become even less so in coming decades if that mix was not altered in the anticipation of climate change. That is, grape varieties in many (especially the warmest) regions will have to keep changing, or wineries will have to seek fruit from higher latitudes or elevations if they wish to retain their current mix of varieties and wine styles.

Development, validation and application of a fast UHPLC-HRMS method for the analysis of amino acids and biogenic amines in wines and musts.

The amino acids in grape juice are an important nitrogen source for yeast during alcoholic fermentation. Additionally, certain AAs are precursors to some of the volatile compounds found in wine and overall

Dual mode of action of grape cane extracts against Botrytis cinerea

Crude extracts of Vitis vinifera canes represent a natural source of stilbene compounds with well characterized antifungals properties. In our trials, exogenous application of a stilbene extract (SE) obtained from grape canes on grapevine leaves reduces the necrotic lesions caused by Botrytis cinerea

Development of spectral indices to monitoring non-destructive of ripeness for water stressed grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) using contour map optimization

Accurate and non-destructive monitoring of grape ripening is essential for optimising harvest decisions, particularly under water stress conditions.