Delineating Natural Terroir Units in Wine Regions Using Geoinformatics

Abstract

The terroir effect refers to the interactions between the grapes and their natural surroundings and has been recognized as an important factor in wine quality. The identification and mapping of viticultural terroir have long been relying on expert opinion coupled with land classification and soil/climate mapping. In this study, the data-driven approach has been implemented for mapping natural terroir units based on spatial modeling of public-access geospatial information regarding the three most important environmental factors that make up the terroir effect on different scales, climate, soil, and topography. K-means cluster analysis was applied to the comprehensive databases of relevant spatial information, and the optimum number of clusters was identified by the Dunn and CCC indices. The results have revealed ten clusters that cover the agricultural area of Drama (Greece), where it was applied, and displayed variable conditions on the climate, soil, and topographic factors. The implications of the resulting natural terroir units on the vini-viticultural management of the most common vine varieties are discussed. As more accurate and detailed input spatial data become available, the potential of such an approach is highlighted and paving the way toward a true understanding of the drivers of terroir.

Vineyard Microclimatic Zoning as a Tool to Promote Sustainable Viticulture under Climate Change

“…While climate and soil are commonly considered the primary drivers of terroir on a regional level, many studies have emphasised the influence of topographical features such as elevation, slope, and aspect in the specific characteristics of wine at a local scale [15][16][17][18]. These topographical features have a significant impact on temperature profiles within a specific vineyard and are essential in the transition from macroclimate (i.e., larger region) to mesoclimate (i.e., specific vineyards) and to microclimate (i.e., individual rows of vines within the vineyard).…”