Priorat Region Research Articles

The Magnificent Five of the Catalan Far West

During the past twenty-five years, the Priorat region in northern Spain has developed its capabilities and reputation as a wine-producing region. A group of winery owners in the region played a crucial role in transforming the Priorat region which has earned them the nickname of the ‘Magnificent Five.’ Although the ‘Magnificent Five’ have traditionally been competitors, a new product development project between the ‘Magnificent Five’ has been proposed. The case focuses on the process through which competing winery owners try to come together to make decisions about the collaboration project to develop the new product. Decisions to be made include the headquarters of the project, the marketing approach and expenditures, the type and quality of the oak barrels to be used, and whether newcomers should be allowed to join the ‘Magnificent Five’. All partners of the coopetitive new venture started their first meeting with great enthusiasm, but as the meeting progressed it became clearer that reaching consensus on seemingly trivial issues would be more difficult than initially expected. Thirty minutes into the meeting, the partners begun to question whether developing this new product was a good idea.

Taking Advantage of Natural Biodiversity for Wine Making: The WILDWINE Project

Abstract Fermentation processes have proceeded without microbiological control until starter cultures came up in 19th Century. However, in some processes, such as wine making a widespread use of starter cultures did not come up until the end of the 20th Century, when the cellar-friendly active dry wine yeast (ADWY) were available. However, this practice was challenged for the uniformity that brought a limited number of commercially available presentations and new tendencies in wine making have withdrawn the use of ADWY. The return to non-controlled wine fermentations may have considerable set backs especially in terms of economical losses, as these wines have much higher risks of presenting different levels of spoilage (presence of unwanted compounds that will be organoleptically detectable) that will not be acceptable for the consumer. The WILDWINE Project (EU contract 315065) proposed a system to overcome the criticism on the uniformity after use of ADWY by bringing “wild” microorganisms to the starter culture practice. The Project proposed mixed cultures as an alternative to single strain cultures that is the usual practice for starter cultures. This multi-strain and multi-species starter cultures aimed at reproducing the vineyard natural microbiota with the advantage of a selection of those strains and species that could add complexity to the final wines. The WILDWINE Project has focused the selection of this “wild” microorganism in 5 worldwide-recognised wine regions: Nemea and Crete (Greece), Piedmont (Italy), Bordeaux (France) and Priorat (Spain). The basic protocol was the same for all the regions: (i) to establish the natural biodiversity of the regions and determine the “microbial fingerprint” of the region, (ii) oenological screening of all the strains and species isolates to determine their quality for the wine making process and (iii) to use the microbial cocktails at pilot plants and in commercial cellars to determine the “microbial footprint” that the “wild” microorganisms leave on the final wines. In the Priorat region, a limited number of different strains from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were detected after sampling cellars and vineyards in two different harvests (2012 and 2013). These low number of S. cerevisiae strains is in sharp contrast with the high biodiversity observed in the same area 18 years before when a selection of strains of this species was preformed to provide a commercial “autochthonous” strain for the Priorat region. Furthermore, the main species found in the vineyards were the yeast-like fungus Aerobasidium pullulans and Hanseniaspora uvarum. A. pullulans disappeared when grapes were turned into must and then H. uvarum and Candida zemplinina were the main species. Minority species found in musts and later in wines were Metschnokowia pulcherrima and Torulaspora delbrueckii.

Bacterial diversity of Grenache and Carignan grape surface from different vineyards at Priorat wine region (Catalonia, Spain)

Epiphytic bacteria on grape berries play a critical role in grape health and quality, which decisively influence the winemaking process. Despite their importance, the bacteria related with grape berry surface remain understudied and most previous work has been based on culture-dependent methods, which offer a limited view of the actual diversity. Herein, we used high-throughput sequencing to investigate the bacterial diversity on the surface from two grape varieties, Grenache and Carignan, and compared them across five vineyards included within the Priorat region (Spain). We could detect up to 14 bacterial phyla with Firmicutes (37.6% Bacillales and 14% Lactobacillales), Proteobacteria (16.8% Pseudomonadales and 11.6% Enterobacteriales) and Actinobacteria (3.4% Actinomycetales) being the most abundant. Bacterial community was different at each vineyard being grape varietal, geographical situation and orientation related with changes in bacterial populations. The most abundant bacterial taxa and those driving differences between the vineyards and grape varietals were identified. This study indicates that bacterial community heterogeneities can be influenced by geographic factors like orientation.

Fungal diversity in grape must and wine fermentation assessed by massive sequencing, quantitative PCR and DGGE

The diversity of fungi in grape must and during wine fermentation was investigated in this study by culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques. Carignan and Grenache grapes were harvested from three vineyards in the Priorat region (Spain) in 2012, and nine samples were selected from the grape must after crushing and during wine fermentation. From culture-dependent techniques, 362 isolates were randomly selected and identified by 5.8S-ITS-RFLP and 26S-D1/D2 sequencing. Meanwhile, genomic DNA was extracted directly from the nine samples and analyzed by qPCR, DGGE and massive sequencing. The results indicated that grape must after crushing harbored a high species richness of fungi with Aspergillus tubingensis, Aureobasidium pullulans, or Starmerella bacillaris as the dominant species. As fermentation proceeded, the species richness decreased, and yeasts such as Hanseniaspora uvarum, Starmerella bacillaris and Saccharomyces cerevisiae successively occupied the must samples. The “terroir” characteristics of the fungus population are more related to the location of the vineyard than to grape variety. Sulfur dioxide treatment caused a low effect on yeast diversity by similarity analysis. Because of the existence of large population of fungi on grape berries, massive sequencing was more appropriate to understand the fungal community in grape must after crushing than the other techniques used in this study. Suitable target sequences and databases were necessary for accurate evaluation of the community and the identification of species by the 454 pyrosequencing of amplicons.

Hillslope terracing effects on the spatial variability of plant development as assessed by NDVI in vineyards of the Priorat region (NE Spain)

The availability of heavy machinery and the vineyard restructuring and conversion plans of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy (Commission Regulation EC no. 1227/2000 of 31 May 2000) have encouraged the restructuring of many vineyards on hillslopes of Mediterranean Europe, through the creation of terraces to favor the mechanization of agricultural work. Terrace construction requires cutting and filling operations that create soil spatial variability, which affects soil properties and plant development. In the present paper, we study the effects of hillslope terracing on the spatial variability of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in fields of the Priorat region (NE Spain) during 2004, 2005, and 2006. This index was computed from high-resolution remote sensing data (Quickbird-2). Detailed digital terrain models before and after terrace construction were used to assess the earth movements. The results indicate that terracing by heavy machinery induced high variability on the NDVI values over the years, showing significant differences as effect of the cut and fill operations.

Agricultural trajectories in a Mediterranean mountain region (Priorat, NE Spain) as a consequence of vineyard conversion plans

AbstractIn mountain regions of Mediterranean European countries, recent economic and technologic changes have involved the intensification of crops, based on heavy land levelling and/or terracing, and the abandonment or marginalization of traditional land use management. These trends have been reinforced by the subsidy policies of the European Union. The objectives of the present research were: (a) to contribute to the understanding of agricultural trajectories and farming systems that are entirely transforming the social and environmental characteristics of Mediterranean mountain areas, focusing on the analysis of the main agricultural trajectories in a sample area of this environment (the Priorat region, NE Spain) over the last 20 years (1986–2005); and (b) to analyse the farming systems that coexist in the region with regard to the landscape impacts they involve and the influence of CAP subsidies in each one. A methodological approach based on the combination of multivariate statistical techniques was used to obtain a better knowledge of the heterogeneity of farming systems on a local scale. The results show that, although most farms cultivate a mosaic of traditional crops and have small mechanized areas, a minority group follows a high intensification and specialization strategy based on new mechanized‐terraced vineyards. This group only comprises 12 per cent of the farmers in the region, but owns 61 per cent of the new vineyard plantations and 42 per cent of the total agricultural land, receiving most of the subsidies from the EU vineyard conversion and restructuring policy (68 per cent of total Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies assigned to the region). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Influence of the EU CAP on terrain morphology and vineyard cultivation in the Priorat region of NE Spain

After the GATT agreements in 1986, which removed the existing external protection on wine market, and with demand developing towards a qualitative level, the European wine sector has been subjected to a continuous transformation to accomplish that main objective. To give producers the chance to bring production into line with market developments and to allow the sector to become permanently competitive, the European Commission established the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1493/1999) on the common market organization in wine, later adopted in the 2003 CAP reform. Among other measures, this regulation finances the restructuring of a large part of present vineyards by adopting new farming systems (EC Council Regulation No. 1227/2000), supporting actions as soil preparation, which includes land levelling and terracing. Traditional vineyard areas in Mediterranean mountain environments, with subsistence agriculture and farming systems based on man and animal labour, have taken advantage of the new market opportunities in the wine sector and of this policy as well, and have changed to a market-oriented farming strategy. It has involved the construction of terraces on hillslopes using heavy machinery with the objective of crop mechanization, which has supposed important changes in soils and landscape. An example of this situation is the Priorat region (Catalonia, NE Spain), where vineyards have been cultivated on hillslopes by human and animal labour since the 12th century. Since the early 1990s the region has been undergoing major changes arising from new wine market opportunities and later by vineyard conversion and restructuring EU policy, which subsidizes up to 50% of the cost. In this paper we consider two aspects of the changes that modern farming systems are causing in the region: (a) land use changes after the coming into practice of the EU vineyard restructuring policy and (b) terrain morphology changes due to land terracing and related geomorphological effects. The results show high terracing rates (22.6–36.1 ha year −1) in the study period (1998–2006), accompanied by huge land movements (a cutting rate of about 5475 m 3 ha −1). Bad design of terraces has led to the collapse of benches and borders, affecting about 3.5% of the newly planted area. These effects question the suitability of the EU CAP for vineyard restructuring in Mediterranean mountain environments, revealing that although farmers comply with environmental protection requirements, CAP support is not accomplishing the objectives for which was conceived: the protection of the environment by the reduction of impacts of the agricultural activities.

Effects of land terracing on soil properties in the Priorat region in Northeastern Spain: A multivariate analysis

The Priorat region, a traditional area for wine production in the Mediterranean mountain environment of NE Spain, has been undergoing drastic changes since the 1990s, with the conversion of abandoned and natural vegetation areas into new terraced vineyard plantations. In most cases, these land cover changes involve land terracing, with risers more than 2 m high and benches with the soil surface structure completely altered. The objective of this work is to analyse the impacts of these land transformations on soil physical properties such as texture, water retention and infiltration capacity in a sample area of the region. Soils are classified as Lithic Xerorthents and are locally called “llicorell”. For this study two different situations on a 100-m-long hillslope were studied: one in an undisturbed position, with natural vegetation and one in a disturbed two-year-old terraced vineyard. Samples of the soil surface from 0 to 20 cm were collected at several points along the slope for analysis of texture, organic matter and aggregate stability. At these locations, saturated hydraulic conductivity was measured using a disc permeameter. The results show that in these soils with a high percentage of coarse elements (> 60%), work carried out during land transformation produced changes in the particle size distribution of the fine fraction. In addition, levelling reduced the organic matter content of the cultivated soils. These changes affected hydraulic conductivity, water retention capacity (which decreased by 45%) and aggregate stability, as well as the relationships between all these variables.

Sustainability of modern land terracing for vineyard plantation in a Mediterranean mountain environment – The case of the Priorat region (NE Spain)

Vineyard restructuring in the Priorat region of NE Spain has transformed both traditional vineyards and abandoned cultivated hillslopes into mechanized vineyards. These new terraced vineyards do not look sustainable under existing environmental conditions. A survey assessing the terrace design of the new mechanized vineyards was initiated a few months after crop establishment. Using a Geodimeter total station, vertical and horizontal intervals between the terraces and the slope of the terrace risers were measured. The results were then compared to accepted terrace design criteria. Additionally, the magnitudes and locations of soil movement that occurred on the risers after vineyard establishment were surveyed. Vineyard infrastructure and vines affected by mass movements as well as rainfall characteristics were also evaluated. The results indicate that the modern terraces are unstable and may lead to a degraded environmental situation. The only factor considered by farmers at the time of the terrace construction is trafficability, i.e., the width suitable for machinery movement. Therefore, the terraces have riser heights (4.8 ± 3.0 m) and widths (6.2 ± 3.5 m) greater than accepted design criteria for the steep conditions in the study area. Indeed, one extreme rainfall event shortly after the terrace construction induced landslides which affected 4950 m 2. About 75% of the area affected by the mass movements occur in the lower third of the slopes, where 6.9% of the plants, irrigation and training systems were damaged.

Land terracing for new vineyard plantations in the north-eastern Spanish Mediterranean region: Landscape effects of the EU Council Regulation policy for vineyards’ restructuring

The landscape of Mediterranean mountain areas in north-eastern Spain, in particular lands traditionally devoted to vineyard cropping, is rapidly changing. This is due to new terrace construction, being built without any environmental impact considerations utilizing heavy machinery. The European Union regulation policy for vineyards’ restructuring, which subsidize up to 50% of the land terracing costs, encourages this activity. A clear example of this situation occurs in the Priorat region (Catalonia, NE Spain), where vineyards were first cultivated in the XII century on hillslopes with terracing systems utilizing small stone walls. However, since the 1980s–1990s, the viticulture boom is based on a new terracing system, relying on mechanization and resulting in high negative environmental and landscape impacts. This paper tackles several aspects that this modern land terracing/vineyard system has initiated in the Priorat: (a) the land use changes and rates of changes during the last two decades, in order to determine the magnitude of the environmental and landscape dynamics problem, (b) the assessment of the terrain morphology changes due to land terracing (volumes of soil displaced, slope morphology and slope degree changes) and (c) an analysis of the cost of the restructuring operations, mainly land terracing, subsidized by the EU policy for vineyards’ restructuring. In this respect, the effects of this policy are discussed. The results show that modern land terracing methods produce huge material displacements (about 9460 ± 900 Mg ha−1). These figures approximate the range of catastrophic natural mass movements and confirm land terracing as an antrophic geomorphic processes which is rapidly reshaping the terrain morphology. Land terracing costs, which represent 34% of the total costs for a new terraced vineyard, is the operation which receives the maximum EU subsidy. This has encouraged vine growers in the Priorat region to create new plantations, increasing significantly the transformation rate from 7.5 ha year−1 between 1986 and 1998 to 36.1 ha year−1 in the 1998–2003 period.

Diagnostic potential of Western blot analysis of sera from dogs with leishmaniasis in endemic areas and significance of the pattern.

Serum samples collected from 237 dogs in Catalonia (northeastern Spain) were screened by Western blot analysis to detect the presence of antibodies specific to different Leishmania infantum polypeptide fractions. Leishmaniasis was confirmed in 72 of these dogs by direct examination and/or culture. Another 165 animals from the Priorat region were studied periodically for 2-8 years between 1987 and 1995, giving a total of 565 determinations. A control group of 93 dogs from nonendemic areas was also studied. Sera from dogs with leishmaniasis recognized antigens with molecular weights ranging from 12 to 85 kD. The most sensitive antigens were those of 70, 65, 46, 30, 28, 14, and 12 kD, which were recognized by 75%, 75%, 78%, 75%, 81%, 79%, and 75%, respectively, of the sera from dogs with positive parasitologic examination results. Antigens of 70 and 65 kD were also recognized by two dogs from nonendemic areas. Antigens of 14 and 12 kD were the first to be recognized by sera of asymptomatic dogs with titers less than the cut-off value of the dot-ELISA that increased during the longitudinal study, and the presence of antibodies specific for these fractions was observed for up to six years before seroconversion observed by dot-ELISA. These antibodies were also the first to disappear in dogs in which the disease was self-limited. The study corroborates the high sensitivity and specificity of Western blots in the diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis when the bands of low molecular weight (less than 46 kD) are considered, and indicates that fractions of 14 and 12 kD are useful in detecting early forms of the disease.