Regional Climate Variability Impacts on the Annual Grape Yield in Mendoza, Argentina

Abstract

Mendoza Province is the major Argentinian vitivinicultural region, and its grape production is fundamental for the national vintage. The 1979–2009 climate–annual grape yield relationships are analyzed, and total grape yield is shown to depend significantly on regional “summer” (October–March) precipitation. Precipitation negatively affects yields through plant disease and damage/destruction by hail. At interannual scales, summer regional precipitation variability can explains 25% of the yield variance. Summer precipitation modulates yield with a 6–8-yr period: wet (dry) summers can be associated with larger (smaller) grape damage/loss probability during the summer preceding the vintage, as well as lower (higher) grape yields in the subsequent annual campaign because of bud damage. With respect to monthly mean precipitation at Mendoza Observatory, wetter Novembers/Decembers can lead to lower yields. Hail during the summer of the previous harvest and during December could lower yields. Winter, late spring, and early summer mean maximum temperatures can impact current and subsequent annual yields: warmer (colder) months are linked to enhanced (decreased) yields. These relationships can be associated with circulation and SST conditions in the equatorial and extratropical Pacific Ocean basin and southern South America: SSTs within the southeastern South Pacific are related to western equatorial Pacific SSTs and convection, which modify circulation and water vapor transport over southern South America. Statistical multilinear modeling shows that the observed relationships among yield, precipitation, and temperature can explain at least 60% of the observed interannual yield variability. It is thus possible to quantitatively estimate, some months in advance, the upcoming vintage’s yield.

Multivariate clustering of viticultural terroirs in the Douro winemaking region

“…These elements were selected for their direct influence on grapevine growth and wine characteristics. The first two elements (thermal and hydric conditions) are strongly connected with grapevine yield and wine quality attributes (Agosta et al, 2012;Camps and Ramos, 2012;Kizildeniz et al, 2015). Grapevines require optimum temperatures and sufficient solar radiation throughout its growth cycle (Failla et al, 2004;Sadras and Moran, 2013).…”

The 18.6‐year nodal tidal cycle and the bi‐decadal precipitation oscillation over the plains to the east of subtropical Andes, South America

“…The NC region exhibits arid‐to‐semiarid conditions under the rain shadow of the high subtropical Andes Mountains. Such a climate favours grape production under irrigation to such an extent that this is the main grape‐growing region in Argentina (Agosta et al ., ). The relationship between the NC summer precipitation variability and the tropospheric circulation at interannual scale has been intensively examined by Agosta and Compagnucci (, ).…”

“…Agosta et al . () studied the relationship between the regional climate and the annual grape yield in the Mendoza Province that is located in the core of NC. The period of study is 1979–2010 corresponding to the extended wet period.…”

A Decision Support System for Vine Growers Based on a Bayesian Network

“…Soil properties, particularly as concerns soil pH and mineral composition (Galet 2000), have been shown to affect grape quality and grapevines clearly grow better in some areas than in others. It has also been known for many decades that climate and meteorological factors are important in viticulture and that regional climate variability affects annual grape yield (Agosta et al 2012).…”