Viticultural Environment describes the abiotic factors of a given site interacting with grapevine and affecting its growth and development Man had long recognized the importance of the natural habitat in which the vine grows for the sensory attributes of the wine and described it by the notion of terroir Seguin 1988 defined terroir as an interactive ecosystem in a given place including soil climate and the vine The concept of terroir has been so highly regarded among wine producers and connoisseurs that led to the establishment of a system of appellations of origin for the most prestigious wineproducing areas responsible for the hierarchy in selling prices In todays market terroir wines are often distinguished as being closer to the vineyard conditions and grape cultivar and less affected by winery processing
So are all the great wines the result of a perfectly balanced terroir or is it possible to manage and control the environment in which grapes are produced according to our objectives First of all lets make clear that there is no such thing as a perfect terroir that is an ideal combination of climate and soil factors leading to the production of premium wines Great wines can be produced in a wide variety of soils from deep and finely textured to shallow and poor depending on the style of wine This means that contrary to existing beliefs stony and sandy soils or limestone soils to name a few examples do not have the absolute privilege of being suitable for quality wines The effect of soil on vine behavior and grape composition is complex and largely depends on the general climate of the area as well as the cultivar itself mainly its vigor and earliness For instance in a warm and arid climate of the Mediterranean zone it is impossible to grow quality grapes on shallow soils especially from earlyripening varieties such as Sauvignon blanc or Chardonnay Under such conditions the limited water and nitrogen supply will greatly reduce vine vigor and accelerate ripening thus decreasing the aromatic expression in the wine However soils of limited depth and fertility are ideal when growing red varieties under cooler climatic conditions
Another common belief is that only cool climate areas can produce wines of typicity and style the warmer areas being just too hot for quality wines This generalization was mostly the result of the widespread use of French varieties originating from areas of mild climatic conditions thus adapted to attain full ripeness under moderate heat loads In fact thermal needs are highly variable among grapevine cultivars and can lead to differences in harvest time for the same site of as much as 2 months This implies that grapevine can be successfully grown in a wide variety of climatic conditions providing that variety and regional climate are correctly matched ie late ripening varieties for warmer areas and early ones for cooler areas So where does the vine grower stand in this context and what is the contribution of vineyard management in determining wine attributes as compared to the role of the environment Moreover is it possible to mediate wine quality using an agronomic approach under suboptimal environmental conditions
The answer is yes but within certain limits and depending on the goals set by the winemaker That means that for the production of premium wines the result of vineyard management techniques will be greater as long as climate and soil conditions are as close as possible to the favourable range of the variety
This agronomic approach includes both permanent as well as seasonal practices Among permanent choices a vine grower has to make to exploit the full potential of a given site is the choice of planting density row orientation and training system For example low and not high density coupled to more elaborate training systems is desirable on fertile soils to control vine vigor Under hot climates it is also better to abstain from the traditional northsouth orientation to protect the grapes from direct sunlight exposure Possible adaptation will also include the choice of rootstock which can greatly influence scion vigor and precocity Seasonal techniques often described under the term canopy management mainly aim to control leaf and grape microclimate and restore vine balance to enhance berry ripening For instance leaf removal should be chosen depending on the variety and climate less for Sauvignon in warm areas to prevent aroma loss more for Cabernet in cool areas to increase colour and reduce methoxypyrazines etc In this context irrigation is probably the most powerful tool for grape growers as it affects many vine physiological parameters
In sum the terroir effect is more pronounced when grape variety is correctly chosen according to climate and soil factors As we move away from these conditions vineyard management techniques become more and more important in achieving the desirable results Todays advances in viticultural science and practice have greatly contributed in increasing grape and wine quality especially in areas where vine cultivation was recently introduced