Terroir Viticulture Treaty: Understanding and Cultivating the Vine to Produce Terroir Wine | René Morlat

Gathering for the first time all the foundations of sustainable viticulture, this Treatise on Terroir Viticulture synthesizes nearly 40 years of experimentation in agronomy of winegrowing terroirs and is based on numerous bibliographical references. Its goal is, notably, to provide wine regions and vineyards with a practical study method to enhance the production of AOC wines to the fullest, with a focus on sustainable development. Following a rigorous scientific approach, this book examines environmental factors and their effects from the vine to the wine: effects on vine ecophysiology, biochemical characteristics of grapes, sensory properties of wines. The various agro-viticultural practices that underpin the quality and typicity of AOC wines are detailed, with applications easily transferable to all stages of viticultural practice: land preparation before planting, soil maintenance, fertilization, methods of combating vine diseases. The development and implementation of the basic terroir unit (UTB) concept are explained through studies on experimental networks in various French vineyards. The socio-technical journey of award-winning AOC wines is addressed through a survey of winemakers from numerous vineyards. The results are obtained in practical conditions and can be translated into advice for vineyard operators. This leads to viable avenues for improving AOC management, taking into account the effects of climate change. Concrete scenarios, photographs, and illustrations contribute to the didactic quality of this unparalleled treatise. Table of Contents of Treatise on Terroir Viticulture: Introduction. Environmental factors in terroirs and diversity in vineyards: consequences for the vine and the wine. General considerations on the terroir concept. Brief overview of methods for studying winegrowing terroirs. Integrative concept of basic terroir unit (UTB) and methodology for its implementation. Climatic factors in terroirs at various scales. Diversity of winegrowing soils and vine rooting. Effects of environmental factors on the vine, grape composition, and sensory properties of wines. Explanatory mechanisms of the influence of environmental factors on the grape and wine. Synthesis of the effect of environmental factors on the vine, grape, and wine. Modeling attempt. Rational and adapted agro-viticultural practices for the diversity of terroir units, for sustainable viticulture. General considerations. Establishment and layout of a vineyard. Fertility of winegrowing soils and its management to produce a terroir wine. Main soil maintenance methods: advantages and disadvantages, in the context of sustainable terroir viticulture. Iron chlorosis in vines in limestone soils: study and means of control. Study on damages caused by salt on vines, in the absence of a salty water table, in Anjou. Factors of the terroir chain and intensity of vine and grape diseases: main results of a survey in Anjou. Reflections on the different types of viticulture present in the vineyard. Viticulture and terroir wine: a study of the production chain at various scales. Study of the terroir chain at the regional wine and AOC scale. Study of the terroir chain at the plot level. Perception, use, and impact of winegrowing terroir studies on producers. Study of the construction of quality and typicity through a survey on the production chain of award-winning AOC wines in the Loire Valley. Conclusion. Bibliographical references.