Macroclimate

Regional climate levels in viticulture

Regional climate levels in viticulture

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In viticulture, there are several levels of regional climates that are used to describe the terroir or immutable characteristics of an area. These levels can be as broad as a macroclimate which includes entire wine regions or as small as a microclimate which includes the unique environment around an individual grapevine. In the middle is the mesoclimate which usually describes the characteristics of a particular vineyard site.

The microclimate of these vines in Idaho is influenced by mesoclimate of the vineyard and the macroclimate of the Snake River Valley AVA.

Levels

  • Macroclimate, in viticulture, refers to the regional climate of a broad area such as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) or a French Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC). It can include an area on the scale of tens to hundreds of kilometers. On smaller scales are the related designations of mesoclimate and microclimate.[1]
  • Mesoclimate refers to the climate of a particular vineyard site and is generally restricted to a space of tens or hundreds of meters.[1]
  • Microclimate refers to the specific environment in a small restricted spaces-such as a row of vines. The more delineated term canopy microclimate refers to the environment around an individual grapevine.[1] although many viticulturists use the term "microclimate" when talking about an individual vine and the effects of canopy management. [2]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition, pp. 416, 439, 442. Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0-19-860990-6.
  2. [2]
    Smart, Richard (1991). Sunlight Into Wine (first ed.). Winetitles. ISBN 1-875130-10-1.


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