Vineyard management strategies adopted to mitigate the impacts of climate change affect the evolution of phenolics and color during bottle aging of Aglianico wines

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an effective and comprehensive method for evaluating the environmental impact of a product, considering its entire life cycle. In the context of wine production, although the use of lca is gaining ground in viticulture, its application is still limited to the fine assessment of winemaking processes.

The under-trellis zone of vineyards is a sensitive area through which vines cover a significant portion of their nutrient and water needs. Mechanical and chemical methods are applied to suppress competing and tall-growing weeds to ensure optimal vine growth conditions. In addition to higher operating costs and depending on the soil conditions, these practices might lead to a long-term reduction in soil fertility and biodiversity. The presented study aims to analyse the suitability and interspecies competition of a selected green cover mixture of five local herbaceous species as potential green cover mixture in the under-trellis area of Lower Austrian vineyards.

[English version below]

On a étudié durant deux saisons de croissance (2002/2003 et 2003/2004) l’effet de l’orientation vertical des rameaux sur les paramètres physiologiques, végétatifs et reproductifs dans la région de Stellenbosch dans un vignoble du cépage Merlot sur 99 R conduite à espalier et taillé a cordon coursonné. Les vignes étaient espacées 2.7 x 1.5 m. L’irrigation a été appliquée quand la baie avait la dimension d’un pois et a la véraison.

Climate change is resulting in more dry and hot summers, accelerating grape ripening and increasing berry sugars concentration. This results in wines with a higher alcohol content, which has a negative impact on wine quality, as well as, on consumer health. Agronomic practices that minimize these effects on berry composition and, consequently, on wine quality must be defined. In this work, different management practices have been assessed on rainfed ‘Monastrell’ grapevines in Jumilla (Murcia, Spain) from 2021 to 2023 vintages. Mulching, shading, application of kaolin and different types of pruning were evaluated, among others field adaptation practices.

The historian starts from a scientific, rigorous and recent definition of the wine-growing region. “A viticultural terroir is made up of several homogeneous units: geological and pedological elements (texture,
grain size, thickness, mineralogical nature, chemical components), geomorphological (altitude, slope, exposure), climatological (rainfall, temperature, insolation)”. Absent from this definition, the man is fortunately reintroduced a little further. By associating viticulture and winemaking, it forms a “couple” with the terroir and this couple.