Viticulture Zoning in Montenegro

Abstract

Montenegro's viticultural regions and sub-regions were defined in the 2007 Law on Wine, based on the country's empirical, traditional, historical and social heritage. However, during the process of defining these regions and sub-regions, the influence of climatic and soil factors crucial in the determination of dependent characteristics, such as the physiology of the grapevine and the quality of the grapes and wine, was not researched thoroughly enough. This work presents the climatic characteristics of the existing sub-regions, as well as the results of the climate's impact on the physiological reactions of the most common domestic grape cv. Vranac (Vitis vinifera L.), facilitating a new viticultural zoning in Montenegro. Over a period of 56 years, the following climatic parameters were analysed: air temperature, precipitation, insolation and air humidity. These parameters suggest that all the sub-regions in Montenegro have uniform climatic parameters. The modification of certain climatic parameters is influenced by two large bodies of water -the Adriatic Sea and Lake Skadar -and by altitude. The duration of the individual phases and vegetation of the Vranac grape variety differed only slightly in the different sub-regions. As a reflection of the influence of climatic factors in different locations, Vranac grape and wine was analysed chemically and given a sensory evaluation. The analysed parameters indicate a nearly uniform chemical composition and sensory evaluation of all wines. Wines produced at lower altitudes were distinctive for their superior quality.

Assessment of the Current and Projected Conditions of Water Availability in the Sevastopol Region for Grape Growing

“…A decrease in the level of water availability during the growing and ripening period of grapes was found in the agroecological regions of industrial viticulture of the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region (Russia) [58]. A decreasing trend of HTC values was also observed in Montenegro from 1950 to 2005, however, with higher values due to the more humid Mediterranean climate [59].…”

“…The HTC values in the current period and future periods indicate that the Sevastopol region remains in the area where the cultivation of grapes is possible without artificial irrigation. Trends towards a decrease in HTC values are typical for the countries of the Black Sea basin [56][57][58][59]. The average HTC values of 0.8 for the period 1989-2020 in the region are typical for the Romanian wine region, and in the last year of 2019-2020 it dropped to 0.4, which led to a low grape harvest [56].…”