Grape variety identification and detection of terroir effects from satellite images

Climate influence on grapevine physiology is prevalent and this influence is only expected to increase with climate change. Although governed by a general determinism, climate influence on grapevine physiology may present variations according to the terroir. In addition, these site-specific differences are likely to be enhanced when climate influence is studied using farm data. Indeed, farm data integrate additional sources of variation such as a varying representativity of the conditions actually experienced in the field. Nevertheless, there is a real challenge in valuing farm data to enable grape growers to understand their own terroir and consequently adapt their practices to the local conditions. In such a context, this article proposes a framework to site-specifically study climate influence on grapevine physiology using farm data. It focuses on improving the analysis of time series of weather data. The analytical framework includes the synchronization of time series using site-specific thermal indices computed with an original method called Extended Growing Degree Days (eGDD). Synchronized time series are then analyzed using a Bayesian functional Linear regression with Sparse Steps functions (BLiSS) in order to detect site-specific periods of strong climate influence on yield development. The article focuses on temperature and rain influence on grape yield development as a case study. It uses data from three commercial vineyards respectively situated in the Bordeaux region (France), California (USA) and Israel. For all vineyards, common periods of climate influence on yield development were found. They corresponded to already known periods, for example around veraison of the year before harvest. However, the periods differed in their precise timing (e.g. before, around or after veraison), duration and correlation direction with yield. Other periods were found for only one or two vineyards and/or were not referred to in literature, for example during the winter before harvest.

To produce premium wines in a specific region is the goal of local oenologists. This study aimed to investigate the influence of soil properties on the flavoromics of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to provide a better insight into single-vineyard wines. Six commercial Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards were selected in the Manas region to collect berries at three harvest ripeness in three seasons (2019–2021). The six vineyards had little difference in mesoclimate conditions while varying greatly in soil composition.

Recent EU regulations allow the use of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as a stabilization agent in wine. We tested CMC in bases for sparkling wines, which must be stabilized before the second fermentation that raises alcohol concentration by 1,5%.

Agriculture plantations are complex systems whose performance critically depends on the execution of several types of tasks with precise timing and efficiency to respond to different external factors. This is particularly true for orchards like vineyards, which need to be strictly monitored and regulated, as they are sensitive to diverse types of pests, and climate conditions. In these environments, managing and optimally scheduling the available work force and resources is not trivial and is usually done by teams of senior managers based on their experience. In this regard, having a baseline schedule could help them in the decision process and improve their results, in terms of time and resources spent.

Temperature fluctuations and, in general, climatic conditions can significantly affect the chemical composition of grapes and, in turn, the taste and aromas of wine.