Terroir analysis and its complexity

Abstract

Terroir is not just a geographical site, but also a complex concept aiming to express the “collective knowledge of the interactions” between the environment and the vines mediated through human action, “providing distinctive characteristics” to the final product (OIV 2010). In the popular press, it is often treated and communicated without a proper understanding of the mechanistic relationships between the wine characteristics and the site. These relationships are primarily rooted in the physical environment, particularly in the interactions between the soil-plant and atmosphere system, affecting grapevine physiology, grape composition and wine. Comprehension of the phenomena starts with viticulture zoning techniques, a crucial first step in mapping, describing and further studying terroirs. Viticulture zoning can be carried out with diverse empiricism and expertise and achieving different level of details in describing complex biophysical processes. Spatial and temporal scales can vary across studies, and not all of them have been able to capture the multidisciplinary nature of the terroir. The scientific understanding of the mechanisms ruling vineyard variability and grape composition is one of the most critical scientific focuses of terroir research. This knowledge can contribute to the analysis of climate change impacts on terroir resilience, the identification of new suitable land for viticulture, and the precise management of vineyards to reach a specific oenological goal. This article gives an overview of the latest approaches to terroir studies and of new zoning technology, with particular attention to their importance in supporting terroir resilience to climate change.

Keywords

• terroir
• viticultural zoning
• climate change
• soil-plant-atmosphere system
• site specific management
• Terclim