Recent advancements in understanding the terroir effect on aromas in grapes and wines

Abstract

Terroir is about the link between wine and its origin. It has long been understood by sensory evaluation that the taste of wine from a given variety can be related to its origins. Specific organoleptic characteristics of wine are influenced by environmental factors such as soil and climate. By deconstructing the effect of measurable soil and climate parameters on grape and wine aroma compounds, the terroir effect on wine typicity can be better understood. Climate influences on vine development and grape ripening are mainly associated with temperature, radiation and rainfall, while soil influences are primarily associated with water availability and nitrogen supply. Significant advances have been made over recent years in understanding wine aromas and their molecular basis and influences of climate and soil on a wide range of molecules responsible for wine aroma expression. This article aims to review these recent research advances to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of how terroir influences wine typicity. The effect of terroir on wine quality and typicity is sometimes considered intangible and difficult to explain on a scientific basis. By combining agronomic, analytical and sensory approaches, however, this review shows that the terroir effect is mediated by measurable factors that can easily be monitored in the vineyard. Assessment of the results compiled by this review allows the suggestion that terroir expression at specific sites might be maximized by choosing appropriate plant material in relation to soil and climate, by acting on manageable parameters like vine water and nitrogen status, or by implementing canopy management to modify microclimate in the bunch zone.

Grape Berry Secondary Metabolites and Their Modulation by Abiotic Factors in a Climate Change Scenario–A Review

“…The physiological and molecular knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the biosynthesis and degradation of secondary metabolites in the grape berry has significantly increased in the past two decades and is continuously advancing due to the development and improvement of omic tools. However, the impact of environmental factors, notably light and temperature, is often ambiguous (van Leeuwen et al, 2020). This can partly be attributed to the difficulty in separating light and temperature effects and the interaction between the two.…”

“…Recently, more integrated modeling approaches predict that under the most optimistic climate change scenario (2 • C increase) and in the most pessimistic scenario (4 • C increase) 56 and 85% of current wine growing regions will become climatically unsuitable for viticulture by the end of the twenty first century, respectively (Morales-Castilla et al, 2020). In general, predicted and already observed consequences for wine quality are wines with higher alcohol content, lower acidity, and altered aroma profiles (Schultz, 2000(Schultz, , 2016Mira de Orduna, 2010;Pons et al, 2017b; van Leeuwen and Destrac-Irvine, 2017) which altogether leads to a loss of typicity and terroir expression (van Leeuwen and Destrac-Irvine, 2017;Van Leeuwen et al, 2018;van Leeuwen et al, 2020).…”

Regionality in Australian Shiraz: compositional and climate measures that relate to key sensory attributes

“…The concentration of rotundone, the potent ‘black pepper’ sesquiterpene, in the sample set was generally low, with no significant regional differences; however, YV3 contained six times higher concentration than the group mean (Table S1). One other YV wine and two CB wines also had a moderately high concentration of rotundone, which has been reported to be related to a cooler growing season temperature and higher solar radiation (van Leeuwen et al 2020).…”

Two Sides to One Story—Aroma Chemical and Sensory Signature of Lugana and Verdicchio Wines

“…However, individual varieties are grown in different parts of the world and are used in many PDO production regulations, giving wines with distinctive odor characters [ 3 ]. It is well known that grape geographical origin has an impact on wine chemical composition [ 4 , 5 ].…”

“…Other studies indicate an influence of grape origin also on compounds primarily associated with fermentation [ 10 , 19 , 20 ]. Winemaking techniques also influence wine aroma [ 21 ], and grape aroma potential can be managed by applying adapted vinification protocols [ 3 ]. The typical odor characteristics of wines from a given PDO arise from complex interaction between grape variety, vineyard location and winemaking [ 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”