Terroir 1996 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Study and valorization of vineyards “terroirs” in the Val de Loire

Study and valorization of vineyards “terroirs” in the Val de Loire

Abstract

[English version below]

Face à la concurrence mondiale, il est indispensable de s’orienter vers des vins de qualité, marqués par une typicité et une authenticité inimitables. Le terroir représente, pour une région donnée, un patrimoine unique et non reproductible, qui peut être valorisé à travers l’origine et les caractéristiques sensorielles du vin. Depuis une quinzaine d’années, l’UW du Centre INRA d’Angers développe un programme d’étude sur la Connaissance, l’Influence et la Gestion optimisée des Terroirs viticoles. Une méthode locale de cartographie des terroirs viticoles a été élaborée, basée sur le concept d’Unité Terroir de Base (UTB), identifiée par l’étage géologique, la nature de la roche mère géologique, son degré d’altération et la profondeur du sol. La cartographie est réalisée avec une tarière à main de 1.20 m, à raison d’un sondage/ha en moyenne. Les résultats sont restitués sous forme d’atlas cartographiques communaux, utilisables directement par les techniciens et les vignerons, à la vigne (cartes conseils pour le choix du cépage, du porte-greffe, des pratiques agro-viticoles) et en cave (adaptation des pratiques œnologiques au terroir de chaque parcelle). À partir de ces données, la cave coopérative des Caves de la Loire, installée à Brissac (France) a réalisé pour chaque adhérent. Toutes les opérations réalisées à la vigne y sont enregistrées ce qui conduit à assurer une traçabilité. À chaque livraison de vendange, un «code parcelle» permet d’orienter la vendange en fonction du potentiel œnologique conféré par le terroir aux raisins permettant une vinification par UTB. Cela a permis d’optimiser l’effet terroir sur le vin, et donc, d’obtenir des vins plus qualitatifs, commercialisés sous un label. Une communication forte et originale sur le produit s’est d’ores et déjà installée au profit de toute la filière viticole angevine.

In the current context of market competition, the future of many French vineyards of controlled appellation of origin lies in their capacity to produce wines presenting a genuine typicity and authenticity. The terroir represent a unique and irreproducible patrimony that can be valorized through the origins and the sensory characteristics of the wines. For the last 15 years, the UW of the Centre INRA of Angers has worked on the knowledge, the influence and the optimized management of vineyard terroirs. The study is based on a local method of soil characterization called “Basic Terroirs Units” (UTB concept), taking into account the geological stage, the bed-rock’s nature, its degree of alteration and the soil depth as principal keys of identification. The scale study is 1/12500. The concrete valorization of the work is to produce cartographic atlases for the disposal of the winegrowers. These atlases present some advisory maps in order to adapt both the cultural practices (choice of the grape vine-variety, rootstocks and soil management) and the enological practices, according to the terroir. From these results, a cooperative wine cellar “Les Caves de la Loire” realized a personal file for each member. Every operation executed in the vineyard is registered (tracability). At the time of vintage, a «parcel code » allows to orient the vintage according to the enological potential induced by the terroir to the grapes,(vinification by UTB). This study has already permit to optimize the “terroir effect”, and consequently, to improve the quality of the wines, commercialized with a label. The subject is already in place for the benefice of the whole Anjou wine business.

DOI:

Publication date: February 15, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2002

Type: Article

Authors

E. BESNARD, E .GOULET, D. RIOUX, S. CESBRON, C. MEINEN and R. MORLAT

Cellule “Terroirs Viticoles” – Chambre Régionale d’Agriculture des Pays de la Loire, Avenue Joxé, 49000 ANGERS
Les Caves de la Loire – Route de Vauchrétien, 49320 BRISSAC QUINCE
Unité Vigne et Vin (UW) – Centre INRA d’Angers – 42 rue Georges Morel – 49070 BEAUCOUZE

Keywords

Terroirs viticoles, Cartographie, Unités Terroirs de Base, Val de Loire, Valorisation, Typicité des vins
Vineyard Terroirs, Cartography, Basic Terroirs Units, Val de Loire, Valorization, Wine typicity

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2002

Citation

Related articles…

Adapting the vineyard to climate change in warm climate regions with cultural practices

Since the 1980s global regime shift, grape growers have been steadily adapting to a changing climate. These adaptations have preserved the region-climate-cultivar rapports that have established the global trade of wine with lucrative economic benefits since the middle of 17th century. The advent of using fractions of crop and actual evapotranspiration replacement in vineyards with the use of supplemental irrigation has furthered the adaptation of wine grape cultivation. The shift in trellis systems, as well as pruning methods from positioned shoot systems to sprawling canopies, as well as adapting the bearing surface from head-trained, cane-pruned to cordon-trained, spur-pruned systems have also aided in the adaptation of grapevine to warmer temperatures. In warm climates, the use of shade cloth or over-head shade films not only have aided in arresting the damage of heat waves, but also identified opportunities to reduce the evapotranspiration from vineyards, reducing environmental footprint of vineyard. Our increase in knowledge on how best to understand the response of grapevine to climate change was aided with the identification of solar radiation exposure biomarker that is now used for phenotyping cultivars in their adaptability to harsh environments. Using fruit-based metrics such as sugar-flavonoid relationships were shown to be better indicators of losses in berry integrity associated with a warming climate, rather than solely focusing on region-climate-cultivar rapports. The resilience of wine grape was further enhanced by exploitation of rootstock × scion combinations that can resist untoward droughts and warm temperatures by making more resilient grapevine combinations. Our understanding of soil-plant-atmosphere continuum in the vineyard has increased within the last 50 years in such a manner that growers are able to use no-till systems with the aid of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi inoculation with permanent cover cropping making the vineyard more resilient to droughts and heat waves. In premium wine grape regions viticulture has successfully adapted to a rapidly changing climate thus far, but berry based metrics are raising a concern that we may be approaching a tipping point.

Current climate change in the Oplenac wine-growing district (Serbia)

Serbian autochthonous vine varieties Smederevka (for white wines) and Prokupac (for rosé and red wines) are the primary representatives of typical characteristics of wines and terroir of numerous wine-growing areas in Serbia. In the past, these varieties were the leading vine varieties, however, as the result of globalization of winemaking and the trend of consumption of wines from widely prevalent vine varieties, they were replaced by introduced international varieties. Smederevka and Prokupac vine varieties are characterized by later time of grape ripening, and relative sensitivity to low temperatures. Climate conditions can be a restrictive factor for production of high-quality grapes and wine and for the spatial spreading of these varieties in hilly continental wine-growing areas.
This paper focuses on the spatial analysis of changes of main climate parameters, in particular, analysis of viticultural bioclimatic indices that were determined for the purposes of viticulture zoning of wine-growing areas in the period 1961-2010, and those same parameters determined for the current, that is, referential climate period (1988-2017). Results of the research, that is, analysis of climate changes indicate that the majority of examined climate parameters in the Oplenac wine-growing district improved from the perspective of Smederevka and Prokupac vine varieties. These studies of climate conditions indicate that changes of analyzed climate parameters, that is, bioclimatic indices will be favorable for cultivation of varieties with later grape ripening times and those more sensitive to low temperatures, such as the autochthonous vine varieties Smederevka and Prokupac, therefore, it is recommended to producers to more actively plant vineyards with these varieties in the territory of the Oplenac wine-growing district.

Influence of climatic conditions on grape composition of Tempranillo in La Mancha DO (Spain)

The aim of this work was to analyze the variability in grape composition of the Tempranillo cultivar related to climatic conditions, in La Mancha Designation of Origin. Grape composition (sugar content, total acidity, pH, malic acid, and total and extractable anthocyanins) recorded during ripening, were analysed for the period 2000-2019. The weather conditions at daily time scale, recorded during the same period, were also evaluated. The relationships between grape parameters with climatic variables related to temperature and to water deficits, referring different periods between phenological events along the growing cycle, were evaluated using regression analysis. High variability in grape composition was observed in the period analysed. Total acidity varied between 3.7 and 7.3 gL-1 while malic acid varied between 1.2 and 4 gL-1. The extractable anthocyanins ranged between 526 and 972 mgL-1, and total anthocyanins ranged between 922 and 1388 mgL-1, being the lowest values recorded in the hottest year (2017). Total acidity decreased 0.77 gL-1 for an increase of 100 GDD, while malic acid decrease in 0.42 gL-1 for the same GDD increase, being the period between veraison and harvest the one that seemed to have higher influence on acidity. In addition, it was confirmed that increasing water deficits decreased acidity. Total and extractable anthocyanins increased in about 210 and 105 mgL-1, respectively, with an increase of 100 GDD from veraison to harvest, and the increase in water deficits favour the increase of anthocyanins, both total and extractable anthocyanins. Total and extractable anthocyanins concentration increased in 35 and 22 mgL-1 per an increase of 10 mm in the water deficit. These results can be of interest to understand the potential changes that grapes composition may suffer under future warmer climates.

Mesoclimate impact on Tannat in the Atlantic terroir of Uruguay

The study of climate is relevant as an element conditioning the typicity of a product, its quality and sustainability over the years. The grapevine development and growth and the final grape and wine composition are closely related to temperature, while climate components vary at mesoscale according to topography and/or proximity to large bodies of water. The objective of this work is to assess the mesoclimate of the Atlantic region of Uruguay and to determine the effect of topography and the ocean on temperature and consequently on Tannat grapevine behavior.

A predictive model of spatial Eca variability in the vineyard to support the monitoring of plant status

[lwp_divi_breadcrumbs home_text="IVES" use_before_icon="on" before_icon="||divi||400" module_id="publication-ariane" _builder_version="4.19.4" _module_preset="default" module_text_align="center" module_font_size="16px" text_orientation="center"...