Terroir 1996 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Response of the plant: a chief element for the characterisation of wine-growing “terroirs”

Response of the plant: a chief element for the characterisation of wine-growing “terroirs”

Abstract

Face au risque de banalisation des produits agroalimentaires, un intérêt toujours plus marqué se développe en faveur des produits du terroir. La viticulture a été pionnière en la matière et les études des effets du milieu naturel sur la qualité et la typicité des produits sont nombreuses et diverses.
La caractérisation des terroirs peut être faite facteur par facteur en analysant l’incidence des différents critères pris séparément. Elle peut être orientée vers la techerche de marqueurs susceptibles d’intégrer des facteurs liés au sol, au climat et à la plante.
L’approche peut être aussi globale par l’utilisation de systèmes d’information géographiques (SIG) capables de combiner un nombre très élevé de critères, grâce à des outils informatiques très puissants.
Indépendamment de la méthodologie choisie, les informations récoltées doivent être validées par l’étude du comportement de la plante en relafon avec la valeur des produits obtenus dans des terroirs déterminés. Le choix des méthodes de caractérisation va dépendre du niveau d’échelle souhaité qui peut aller de la micro parcelle à l’ensemble d’une région ou d’un pays. Il sera également fonction des objectifs recherchés, qui peuvent être divers, de la classification des crus à l’adaptation d’itinéraires viticoles appropriés.

Vis-à-vis the risk of vulgarising the agroalimentary products, an increasingly shown interest develops in favour of the “terroir” products. The viticulture blazed a trail in this field, and the studies of the effects of the natural environment on the quality and on the originality of the products are numerous and varied.
The characterisation of wine-growing “terroirs” can be done factor by factor by analysing the incidence of the various individual criteria. It can be directed towards the search for markers likely to integrate factors linked to the soil, the climate and the plant.
The approach can also be global by using geographical information systems (GIS) able to combine a very high number of criteria thanks to very powerful data-processing tools.
Independently of the chosen methodology, collected information must be validated by the study of plant behaviour in relation to the value of the products obtained in given “terroirs”. Choice of the characterisation methods will depend on the desired scale level, which can go from micro plot to a whole area or country. It will be also a function of the required objectives which can be diverse, from the vintage classification to the adaptation of suitable wine­growing practices.

Download the PDF

DOI:

Publication date: February 15, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2002

Type: Article

Authors

F. MURISIER (1), J.-L. SPRING (1), S. BURGOS2) and V. ZUFFEREY (1)

(1) Station fédérale de recherches en production végétale de Changins, CH-1260 Nyon-Suisse
(2) Ecole d’ingénieurs de Changins, CH-1260 Nyon

Contact the author

Keywords

Caractérisation, terroirs viticoles, sols, climat, plante
Characterisation, wine terroir, soils, climate, plant

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2002

Citation

Related articles…

From average to individual fruit, a paradigm shift for accurate analysis of water accumulation and primary metabolism in developing berries

Presentknowledge about grape development is mainly driven by the premise that a typical berry would follow the same kinetics as the population average

Read More

Flavor Enhancement Of Neutral White Wines By Mango Peel Products

Varietal flavor is commonly known as the aromatic character of a wine in which the aroma of a particular grape variety predominates. However, not all varieties present particularly pronounced aromas. Therefore, different methods are constantly sought to enhance the aroma of wines with neutral aromatic characteristics, such as the use of glycosidases (1), certain yeast strains (2) or maceration with different agricultural products. In this work, aiming to improve the sensory profile together with the diversification of this product, white wines, derived from a neutral grape variety, were elaborated with the addition of mango peel by-products.

Read More

Do we have convergence or divergence in firms’ production and business practices in the global wine industry? 

Wine production is a globally significant and intricate industry, characterized by diverse regions, grape varieties, and producers. Competitive advantage in wine production and marketing arises from localized natural attributes known as terroir, combined with transferable expertise in agronomic practices, winemaking methods, packaging, distribution, and marketing. Wine is a very globalized product with 40% of the total output exported. Globalization has prompted discussions on convergence of business and production practices across industries, driven by technological progress and adoption of international standards. However, persisting differences in cultural norms, institutional frameworks, and regulatory environments hinder full convergence.

Read More

Analysis of temporal variability of cv. Tempranillo phenology within Ribera del Duero Do (Spain) and relationships with climatic characteristics

The Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin (DO) has acquired great recognition during the last decades, being considered one of the highest quality wine producing regions in the world. This DO has grown from 6,460 ha of vineyards officially registered in 1985 to approximately 21,500 ha in 2013. The total grape production stands at around 90 million kg, with an average yield that approaches nearly 4,500 kg/ha. Most vineyards are cultivated under rainfed conditions.

Read More

Impact of varying ethanol and carbonation levels on the odor threshold of 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphtalene (petrol off-flavor) and role of berry size and Riesling clones

1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphtelene (TDN) evokes the odor of “petrol” in wine, especially in the variety Riesling. Increasing UV-radiation due to climate change intensifies formation of carotenoids in the berry skins and an increase of TDN-precursors1. Exploring new viticultural and oenological strategies to limit TDN formation in the future requires precise knowledge of TDN thresholds in different matrices. Thresholds reported in the literature vary substantially between 2 µg/L up to 20 µg/L2,3,4 due to the use of different methods. As Riesling grapes are used for very different wine styles such as dry, sweet or sparkling wines, it is essential to study the impact of varying ethanol and carbonation levels.

Read More