Climate, soil, and grape/wine quality/typicity in different zones or terroirs

Great importance has been attributed to the climate and soil, or to the grape variety, as factors influencing grape and wine quality/typicity, according to the opinion of ‘traditional’ and ‘new’ wine-producing Countries, respectively. Viticultural experience has proven that, within each grape-growing zone, both the climate and soil as well as the genetic characteristics of the cultivar play an incontestable role in influencing the grape, and thus the wine quality. The characterization of different areas (zoning) provides an interesting tool for the study of the ecological, geological, ecophysiological and biological factors which interact with the grapevine to determine wine quality and can be summarized also by the term ‘terroir’. The aim of this type of study is to delimit and individuate homogeneous territories which can provide homogeneous and identifiable enological products. In fact, different approaches may be used for ‘zoning studies’: historical, bioclimatic, pedological, varietal or multi-disciplinary (integrated). Zoning viticultural areas have been widely performed, particularly in the traditional viticultural areas, such as the AOC, DOC and DOCG areas in Europe (especially France and Italy). Different climates and different climate parameters, such as irradiance and temperature, may influence the wine structure and aroma. Also soil type and characteristics, such as structure and water availability, could influence wine taste. Many examples could illustrate the grapevine-ambient interaction as the basic binomial for grape quality as well as for wines characterized by specific and identifiable attributes.