Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Satellite Imagery (NDVI) to Identify Terroir and Vineyard Yeast Differences according to Appellation of Origin (AOP) and Biogeographic Origin

Sergio Vélez,Pilar Blanco,José Antonio Rubio,David Castrillo,Enrique Barajas

doi:10.3390/j4030020

Abstract

Terroir is one of the core concepts associated with wine and presumes that the land from which the grapes are grown, the plant habitat, imparts a unique quality that is specific to that growing site. Additionally, numerous factors can influence yeast diversity, and terroir is among the most relevant. Therefore, it can be interesting to use Remote Sensing tools that help identify and give helpful information about the terroir and key characteristics that define the AOP (Appellation of Origin). In this study, the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) calculated from Landsat 8 imagery was used to perform a spatio-temporal analysis during 2013, 2014, and 2015 of several vineyards belonging to four different AOP in Galicia (Spain). This work shows that it is possible to use Remote Sensing for AOP delimitation. Results suggest: (i) satellite imagery can establish differences in terroir, (ii) the higher the NDVI, the higher the yeast species richness, (iii) the relationship between NDVI, terroir, and yeasts shows a stable trend over the years (Pearson’s r = 0.3894, p = 0.0119).

Highlights

IntroductionIt is a French term that describes how the environment, farming practices, crop characteristics, and cultural elements of a place affect grape and wine production, combined in a specific way that cannot be replicated in any other place
The objective of the present study was to analyze the potential use of satellite multispectral imagery to detect differences in terroir and yeast population due to AOP according to NDVI variations, studying: (i) if satellite imagery can establish differences in terroir, (ii) the relationship between NDVI and yeast species richness, (iii) the temporal stability over the years between NDVI, terroir, and yeasts
The main objective of this work was to analyze the potential use of spatio-temporal analysis of satellite multispectral imagery to detect differences in terroir and yeast population due to AOP according to NDVI variations

Summary

Introduction

It is a French term that describes how the environment, farming practices, crop characteristics, and cultural elements of a place affect grape and wine production, combined in a specific way that cannot be replicated in any other place This concept is the basis of the French wine appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) system, which is a model for wine appellation and regulation in France and around the world. It is known as Apelación d’Origine Protégée (AOP, Appellation of Origin) in the European Union, as Designation of Origin (in English), and as Denominación de Origen (DO, Denomination of Origin) in Spanish. This system presumes that the land from which the grapes are grown, the plant habitat, imparts a unique quality specific to that growing site [2]

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