Terroir 2004 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Study of wine-growing land (“terroir”) characteristics in the canton of Vaud (Switzerland): ecophysiological behaviour of the vine (cv. Chasselas)

Study of wine-growing land (“terroir”) characteristics in the canton of Vaud (Switzerland): ecophysiological behaviour of the vine (cv. Chasselas)

Abstract

A study of the physiological and agronomical behaviour of the vine (cv. Chasselas) was conducted between 2001 and 2003 by the Swiss Federal Research Station for Plant Production at Changins (Agroscope RAC Changins) on various wine-growing farms (terroirs) in the Canton of Vaud (Switzerland), as part of a study project on Vaudois vines and vineyards in association with the firm I. Letessier (SIGALES) in Grenoble and the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL).
In order to identify the typical characteristics of Vaudois wine-growing plots or “terroirs”, the chosen working method attempted to integrate all factors susceptible of influencing “terroir” functions : on the one hand, natural parameters (geology, soil and climate), and, on the other hand, vine response, the most important indicator of ‘terroir” value.
The study of vine behaviour was carried out over a region comprising about fifty Chasselas plots spread out over four pilot zones (1000 ha approximately). The defined pedological units, which are representative of vineyards, led to pertinent plant responses, in particular concerning hydrous plant reactions in the vine, its vegetative outgrowth, in addition to qualitative characteristics of the harvest.

Related articles…

Ground vs trellis in rootstock cane production fields

Context and purpose of the study. The vine nursery sector is undergoing a transformation to meet growing environmental and sanitary demands.

Investigating winemaking techniques for resistant varieties: the impact of prefermentative steps on must quality

Resistant grape varieties are gaining interest in viticulture due to their resistance to diseases, allowing to drastically reduces pesticides in viticulture [1].

Microwave-assisted maceration and stems addition in Bonarda grapes: effects on wine chemical composition and sensory properties over two vintages

AIM: Bonarda, the second red grape variety in Argentina, produces high yields per hectare generating, in several cases, wines with low levels of quality compounds.

Xylem vessel blockages in grape pedicel growing in tropical climate observed by microtomography

In grape berry pedicel, xylem hydraulic conductance can be impaired by blockage deposition in the lumen of xylem elements. However, the varietal difference of the interruptions has not yet been characterized. In this preliminary work, we utilized synchrotron x-ray computed microtomography experiments performed at MOGNO beamline (LNLS – Brazil) to identify possible blockage sites in natural grape pedicel xylem. For this, we imaged dehydrated pedicel’s stem portion from the Niagara Rosada variety in three different phenological stages (Pre-veraison (PreV), veraison (V) and post-veraison (PostV). The reconstructed tridimensional images with a voxel size of 1.16 µm were segmented for the identification of xylem vessel lumens. After analysing one pedicel stem per stage, we identified 658 vessels without occlusion throughout his axial plane and 41 in which we could identify possible interruptions.

MODULATION OF YEAST-DERIVED AROMA COMPOUNDS IN CHARDONNAY WINES USING ENCAPSULATED DIAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE TO CONTROL NUTRIENT RELEASE

Yeast-derived aroma compounds are the result of different and complex biochemical pathways that mainly occur during alcoholic fermentation. Many of them are related -but not limited- to the availability of nutrients in the fermentation medium and linked to nitrogen metabolism and biomass produced. Besides, the metabolic phase of yeast also regulates the expression of many enzymes involved in the formation of aroma active compounds. The work investigates the overall effect of continuous supplementation of nutrients during alcoholic fermentation of a grape must on the volatile composition of wines.