ADAPTATION AND SELECTION OF CULTIVARS OF GRAPEVINE FOR QUALITY WINES IN WARM CLIMATE

Abstract

Currently, there is a general tendency to produce quality wines using international cultivars. These cultivars are considered malleable and universal because they adapted very well in different climatic and soil conditions. Nevertheless, this is causing a loss of originality and typicality on wines. To bet on autochthonous minority and local cultivars to produce quality wines lead to produce wines with terroir distinctive characteristic. These autochthonous cultivars need to prospect and collect over vine zones and study their behaviour. In Spain, prospecting research has been realized, as well as collection and study of autochthonous cultivars and so the vine sector have sufficient vegetable material to can cultivate them. In this paper the adaptation of several cultivars in a warm climate work has been studied. We present the results of agronomic and oenologic behaviour of six international cultivars (Cabernet sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Sauvignon blanc and Syrah) and six autochthonous cultivars (Melonera, Moscatel de Malaga, Palomino fino, Tempranillo, Tintilla de Rota y Vijiriega), all of them cultivated in the Center of Research IFAPA Centro Rancho de la Merced (Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucia, Spain). This study has been realized from 2003-04 to 2007-08.