Aromatic ripeness may be the type of maturity that impacts red wine typicity the most. Part II: terroir factors and management practices affecting aromatic ripeness Sourced from the research article: “Aromatic maturity is a cornerstone of terroir expression in red wine” (OENO One, 2022). Original language of the article: English.
Harvesting grapes at the appropriate maturity is key to the production of high quality red wines. Viticulturists, oenologists and winemakers define several types of maturity: technological, phenolic and aromatic. Aromatic maturity is probably the most important for determining wine quality and typicity, including terroir expression. This article (part II) reviews the influence of terroir factors and management practices on aromatic maturity; the latest knowledge regarding compounds that underpin aromatic maturity was addressed in a previous article (Part I).
Terroir factors that influence aromatic ripeness
As perceived in sensory assessments of wine, typicity is the result of complex interactions between numerous molecular compounds and involves collective knowledge about the sensory characteristics of the product
In a previous article (Part I), a classification of wine aromas in an increasing order of perceived maturity was given (see also Carbonneau, 2007)
Grapevine variety selection based on local climatic conditions
When producing wine at a specific site, the temperature regime during grape ripening depends not only on the local climatic conditions but also on the phenology of the variety being cultivated. The growers cannot change the temperature regime of a site, but they can advance or delay the ripening period by choosing an early or late ripening variety respectively. Hence, it makes sense to cultivate early ripening varieties under cool climatic conditions and late ripening varieties in warm climates; however, in the former case, attaining full ripeness is a challenge, and in the latter, the decoupling of technological, phenolic and aromatic maturity is a potential risk. Temperature requirements for attaining sugar ripeness have recently been published for a wide range of varieties, allowing varietal choices to be fine-tuned according to local temperature summations
Each variety has an aromatic signature
Influence of management practices on perceived aromatic maturity
The environmental resources offered by a specific site (i.e., terroir) can, to a certain extent, be manipulated through the design of the training system and annual management practices. Long term decisions on planting densities and vine architecture, or annual canopy management practices, can modulate light and temperature in the fruit zone. Water availability can be managed through irrigation practices. When excessively cool ripening conditions increase the risk of green aroma nuances, improving bunch exposure by leaf thinning can increase radiation and temperature, and hence improve aromatic maturity (Table 1). Under these conditions, water deficits can also help avoid green aroma nuances. Conversely, in warm temperatures, canopy management that results in the partial shading of grape bunches can limit the risk of cooked fruit and oxidised prune aromas. Moderately low vine nitrogen status and cover cropping limit green aromas in cool and wet climates through reduced vigour and improved bunch exposure
Trends in the management of harvest dates
Viticulturists, oenologists and winemakers are generally keen to improve phenolic ripeness; i.e., the moment when anthocyanin concentration in the skins reaches a maximum and tannin concentrations have decreased after veraison, both in skin and seeds
The effects of climate change
Wine styles are changing worldwide in most production areas as a consequence of the effects of climate change. Trends of increasing alcohol levels and pH are well documented, which is not the case for modifications in aromatic maturity. However, it is very likely that aromatic maturity in grapes and wines will continue to increase under climate change, if no adaptative measures are implemented. To maintain wine typicity in production areas, grape ripening must be delayed and maintained as much as possible at the end of the season when temperatures are cooler (September or early October in the northern hemisphere, or March or early April in the southern hemisphere). This can be achieved by modifying training systems, decreasing leaf area/fruit weight ratio, performing late pruning or planting later ripening clones (Table 1). The most drastic adaptive measure, but also one of the most effective, is changing the grapevine variety. Growers and consumers sometimes fear that this will change the aromatic typicity of the produced wines, because each variety has its own aromatic signature. This signature, however, is extremely variable depending on the level of aromatic maturity at grape harvest, because of either the time of harvest or the local environmental conditions, in particular temperature. Hence, with view to preserving wine typicity, adopting a later ripening variety that will ripen in similar temperature conditions, even in a warmer climate, may be a better option in the long term than that of maintaining an existing variety, which will ripen increasingly early under much warmer conditions.
Conclusions
Aromatic maturity is a key factor of wine typicity. Technological, phenolic and aromatic maturity are attained within a short time frame when grapes ripen at the end of the growing season under mild temperatures. This implies planting early ripening varieties in cool climates and late ripening varieties in warm climates. The desired level of aromatic maturity can be fine-tuned by choosing adequate training systems and annual management practices, as well as by making appropriate harvest date decisions.
Notes
- Barbe, J. C., Garbay, J., & Tempère, S. (2021). The sensory space of wines: from concept to evaluation and description. A review. Foods, 10(6), 1424. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10061424.
- van Leeuwen, C., Barbe, J. C., Darriet, P., Geffroy, O., Gomès, E., Guillaumie, S., Helwi, P., Laboyrie, J., Lytra, G., Le Menn, N., Marchand, S., Picard., M., Pons., A., Schüttler A. & Thibon, C. (2020). Recent advancements in understanding the terroir effect on aromas in grapes and wines: This article is published in cooperation with the XIIIth International Terroir Congress November 17-18 2020, Adelaide, Australia. Guest editors: Cassandra Collins and Roberta De Bei. OENO One, 54(4), 985-1006. https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2020.54.4.3983
- Carbonneau, A. (2007). Théorie de la maturation et de la typicité du raisin. Le Progrès agricole et viticole, 124(13), 275-284.
- Lytra, G., Tempere, S., Zhang, S., Marchand, S., de Revel, G., & Barbe, J. C. (2014). Olfactory impact of dimethyl sulfide on red wine fruity esters aroma expression in model solution. Journal International des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, 48(1), 75-85. https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2014.48.1.1660
- van Leeuwen, C., Barbe, J. C., Darriet, P., Geffroy, O., Gomès, E., Guillaumie, S., Helwi, P., Laboyrie, J., Lytra, G., Le Menn, N., Marchand, S., Picard., M., Pons., A., Schüttler A. & Thibon, C. (2020). Recent advancements in understanding the terroir effect on aromas in grapes and wines: This article is published in cooperation with the XIIIth International Terroir Congress November 17-18 2020, Adelaide, Australia. Guest editors: Cassandra Collins and Roberta De Bei. OENO One, 54(4), 985-1006. https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2020.54.4.3983
- Parker, A. K., García de Cortázar-Atauri, I., Gény, L., Spring, J.-L., Destrac, A., Schultz, H., Molitor, D., Lacombe, T., Graça, A., Monamy, C., Stoll, M., Storchi, P., Trought, M. C. T., Hofmann, R. W., & van Leeuwen, C. (2020). Temperature-based grapevine sugar ripeness modelling for a wide range of Vitis vinifera L. cultivars. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 285–286, 107902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2020.107902
- Garbay, J., Cameleyre, M., Le Menn, N., Barbe, J.-C. & Lytra, G., 2022. How does aromatic composition of red wines, resulting from varieties adapted to climate change, modulate fruity aroma? TerClim 2022, 14th International Terroir Congress and 2nd ClimWine Congress, 3-8 July 2022, Bordeaux.
- van Leeuwen, C., Barbe, J. C., Darriet, P., Geffroy, O., Gomès, E., Guillaumie, S., Helwi, P., Laboyrie, J., Lytra, G., Le Menn, N., Marchand, S., Picard., M., Pons., A., Schüttler A. & Thibon, C. (2020). Recent advancements in understanding the terroir effect on aromas in grapes and wines: This article is published in cooperation with the XIIIth International Terroir Congress November 17-18 2020, Adelaide, Australia. Guest editors: Cassandra Collins and Roberta De Bei. OENO One, 54(4), 985-1006. https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2020.54.4.3983
- Carbonneau, A., Champagnol, F., Deloire, A., & Sévila, F. (1998). Récolte et qualité du raisin, 647-668. C. Flanzy, Œnologie. Fondements scientifiques et technologiques.
- Bindon, K., Holt, H., Williamson, P. O., Varela, C., Herderich, M., & Francis, I. L. (2014). Relationships between harvest time and wine composition in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon 2. Wine sensory properties and consumer preference. Food Chemistry, 154, 90-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.12.099
- van Leeuwen, C., & Destrac-Irvine, A. (2017). Modified grape composition under climate change conditions requires adaptations in the vineyard. OENO One, 51(2-3), 147-154. https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2016.0.0.1647
References
- Barbe, J. C., Garbay, J., & Tempère, S. (2021). The sensory space of wines: from concept to evaluation and description. A review. Foods, 10(6), 1424. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10061424.
- van Leeuwen, C., Barbe, J. C., Darriet, P., Geffroy, O., Gomès, E., Guillaumie, S., Helwi, P., Laboyrie, J., Lytra, G., Le Menn, N., Marchand, S., Picard., M., Pons., A., Schüttler A. & Thibon, C. (2020). Recent advancements in understanding the terroir effect on aromas in grapes and wines: This article is published in cooperation with the XIIIth International Terroir Congress November 17-18 2020, Adelaide, Australia. Guest editors: Cassandra Collins and Roberta De Bei. OENO One, 54(4), 985-1006. https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2020.54.4.3983
- Carbonneau, A. (2007). Théorie de la maturation et de la typicité du raisin. Le Progrès agricole et viticole, 124(13), 275-284.
- Lytra, G., Tempere, S., Zhang, S., Marchand, S., de Revel, G., & Barbe, J. C. (2014). Olfactory impact of dimethyl sulfide on red wine fruity esters aroma expression in model solution. Journal International des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, 48(1), 75-85. https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2014.48.1.1660
- Parker, A. K., García de Cortázar-Atauri, I., Gény, L., Spring, J.-L., Destrac, A., Schultz, H., Molitor, D., Lacombe, T., Graça, A., Monamy, C., Stoll, M., Storchi, P., Trought, M. C. T., Hofmann, R. W., & van Leeuwen, C. (2020). Temperature-based grapevine sugar ripeness modelling for a wide range of Vitis vinifera L. cultivars. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 285–286, 107902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2020.107902
- Garbay, J., Cameleyre, M., Le Menn, N., Barbe, J.-C. & Lytra, G., 2022. How does aromatic composition of red wines, resulting from varieties adapted to climate change, modulate fruity aroma? TerClim 2022, 14th International Terroir Congress and 2nd ClimWine Congress, 3-8 July 2022, Bordeaux.
- Carbonneau, A., Champagnol, F., Deloire, A., & Sévila, F. (1998). Récolte et qualité du raisin, 647-668. C. Flanzy, Œnologie. Fondements scientifiques et technologiques.
- Bindon, K., Holt, H., Williamson, P. O., Varela, C., Herderich, M., & Francis, I. L. (2014). Relationships between harvest time and wine composition in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon 2. Wine sensory properties and consumer preference. Food Chemistry, 154, 90-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.12.099
- van Leeuwen, C., & Destrac-Irvine, A. (2017). Modified grape composition under climate change conditions requires adaptations in the vineyard. OENO One, 51(2-3), 147-154. https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2016.0.0.1647
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