Terroir 2020

IVES 9 Tag: Terroir 2020

A research agenda for terroir: an empirical, international expert study

Aim: Terroir is a French concept relating the qualities and quality of agricultural products to their physical and socio-cultural place of origin. It is increasingly used by business and policymakers as a marketing technique to provide economic benefits (e.g. Lenglet, 2014; Wine Australia, 2015), and to potentially preserve cultural heritage (e.g. Bauer, 2009) and the environment (e.g. Bowen, 2010)

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‘It’s a small, yappy dog’: The British idea of terroir

Aims: Most consumer research about terroir has focused on wine, particularly with French or other European wine drinkers, rather than those in the Anglo-Saxon world. In Europe, whilst there is no agreement amongst consumers as to what terroir actually is, there is a general recognition of the word and an acceptance that it represents something important

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Within-vineyard variability in grape composition at the estate scale can be assessed through machine-learning modeling of plant water status in space and time. A case study from the hills of Adelaida District AVA, Paso Robles, CA, USA

Aim: Through machine-learning modelling of plant water status from environmental characteristics, this work aims to develop a model able to predict grape phenolic composition in space and time to guide selective harvest decisions at the estate scale.

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Comparison between satellite and ground data with UAV-based information to analyse vineyard spatio-temporal variability

Currently, the greatest challenge for vine growers is to improve the yield and quality of grapes by minimizing costs and environmental impacts. This goal can be achieved through a better knowledge of vineyard spatial variability. Traditional platforms such as airborne, satellite and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) solutions are useful investigation tools for vineyard site specific management.

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In search of the taste of terroir – a challenge for sensory science

The definition of terroir has evolved throughout history, from something clearly negative in the XVIth-XVIIIth century to a complex multi-parametric construct with positive connotations but also with many scientific unknowns. Terroir has always been linked more or less explicitly to the sensory properties of the resulting products.

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Recent advancements in understanding the terroir effect on aromas in grapes and wines

Terroir is about the link between wine and its origin. It has long been understood by sensory evaluation that the taste of wine from a given variety can be related to its origins. Specific organoleptic characteristics of wine are influenced by environmental factors such as soil and climate. By deconstructing the effect of measurable soil and climate parameters on grape and wine aroma compounds,

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Juice carbon isotope discrimination is related to vine growth and fruit quality of Barossa Shiraz

Aim: Interactions between soil, climate and management that modulate vine growth, yield and grape composition are strongly defined by vine water availability and nutrient uptake during the season. Carbon isotope discrimination (δ13C) has been used as an integrative measurement of vine water availability during the season, with the potential to identify spatial variations of terroir in

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Soil variability effects on vine rootzones and available water

Aim: The aim of this work is educating people about soil variability, vine rootzone depth and readily available water holding capacity. The concept of terroir is readily discussed in the wine industry but many people involved are unable to describe a soil profile and interpret its limitations that impact on vine growth, fruit quality and wine produced. This paper discusses soil physical characteristics important to vine root growth and readily available water holding capacity (RAW).

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Soil monoliths, soil variability and terroir

Aim: The aim of this work is educating people about soil variability and terroir. Soil monoliths are used to educate the wine industry about how to describe a soil profile, interpret the soil formation processes operating in a particular soil profile and consequently the impact of soil properties on vine growth, fruit quality and wine production. Soil monoliths are a permanent artistic tool for educating, research and management of soil variability.  

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The dynamics of δ13C and δ18O in musts during berries development

Aim: Many processes or reactions that occur in plants involved isotopic discrimination. Water availability, for example, affects the isotopic ratio of carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O). In viticulture, δ13C is used in experiments related to water relations and irrigation in vineyards. δ18O is used much less but it could be a good complement to δ13C. The aim of this study was to generate knowledge on how these isotopic ratios, measured in musts, could help to better understand the water behavior of grape varieties. 

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Island and coastal vineyards in the context of climate change

Aim: The notion of “terroir” enables the attribution of distinctive characteristics to wines from the same region. Climate change raises issues about viticulture, especially the growth of the vines and even more importantly the economic situation of actual wine-growing regions (Schultz and Jones 2010; Quénol 2014). Several studies have addressed the impacts of climate change on viticulture in

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