Role of climate on grape
characteristics of “Moscato bianco”
in Piedmont (Italy)
RESEARCH GROUP
S. Orlandini, M. Moriondo
Dipartimento di Scienze Agronomiche e Gestione del Territorio Agroforestale,
Università degli Studi di Firenze
M. Mancini
Centro Studi per l’Applicazione dell’Informatica in Agricoltura – Accademia
dei Georgofili, Firenze
F. Spanna, G. Cressano, S. Dolzan
Settore Fitosanitario della Regione Piemonte, Torino
A. Schubert, C. Lovisolo
Dipartimento Colture Arboree dell’Università degli Studi di Torino
M. De Marziis
3A s.r.l., Torino
Daniele Della Valle, Gabriella Sanlorenzo, Maurizio Gily
Vignaioli Piemontesi – Castagnito (CN)
Materials and methods
1. Acquisition of cartographic base at 1:25.000 scale of
Moscato d’Asti area
2. Acquisition of all information layers, not already
available, necessary for analysis and data processing
(boundaries, rivers, main localities)
3. Land digital model to produce information layers
concerning topographical and geographical
characteristics of the territory
Elevation
Slope
Exposure
Historical climatic investigation
23 stations
Data from the net of Hydrographic National Service Hydrographic Office of Po river
Daily recording of:
Total precipitations
Minimum, maximum, daily average temperature
Bioclimatic indexes
24 stations
from 1999 to 2001
Active temperatures summation (STA)
Thermal excursions summation (SET)
Huglin index
Number of rainy days
Effective rain summation
Spring frost risk
Beginning of vegetation season
Lenght of vegetative period
Phenological and grape quality
parameters
30 vineyards
differents for
exposure, elevation,
slope,
distance from the
valley bottom
Phenological indexes
Date of budbreak
Phase 07 of BBCH
Phase C of Baggiolini
Date of bloom
50% full bloom
Date of veraison
must with 10° Babo
Grape quality indexes
Potential alcohol
Total acidity
pH
Samplings made on August 22th,
August 29th, September 5th of
every year (1999-2001)
Territorial analysis
Creation of thematic maps
1. Finding maps on the scale of 1:25.000 of
Moscato d’Asti area
2. Digitalization and acquisition of all the
informative layers (level curves, borders,
rivers, towns)
3. Creation of the digital model of the ground,
by which the informative layers concerning
the topographic and geographic
characteristics of the territory have been
produced (elevation, slope, exposure)
GENERATION OF THE DIGITAL MODEL
OF THE GROUND
• the digital model of the ground which comes
from the elaboration can be georeferred
according to the UTM system
• the elaborated image is returned in raster
form
Pixel of 75 x 75 m
Grid units of 5625
450.776 pixels
m2
cells of dimensions
lower than 75*75 m
would not increase the
detail but the mistake
of the information itself
THE SPATIALIZATION OF THE BIOCLIMATIC
AND THE QUALITY/PHENOLOGY DATA
the values of the bioclimatic indexes and
phenological/qualitative are only
representative of a limited area.
the extent of the data to the whole
surface can be made with a spatial
interpolation proceeding
MULTIREGRESSIVE METHOD
MULTIREGRESSIVE METHOD
the regressions have been selected on the
basis of the correlation (R2) and
significance coefficient
Bioclimatic Indexes  the regressions have
been used with geomorphological parameters
like latitude, longitude, elevation, exposure,
slope
Phenologic/Qualitative Indexes 
geomorphological parameters and bioclimatic
indexes
R2, F, and variables
used for bioclimatic
indexes
R2, F, and variables
used for phenology
parameters
R2, F, and variables
used for quality
parameters
Elevation map in
Moscato d’Asti production area
Exposure in Moscato d’Asti
production area
Slope in Moscato d’Asti
production area
Sum of the active temperatures
1997-2001
Huglin Index map
1997-2001
Sum of daily thermal excursions
1997-2001
Total annual precipitations 1992- 2000
Number of rainy days
1997-2001
Sum of effective rain
April - September 1997-2001
Beginning of vegetative season
index
1997 - 2001
Spring frost risk map
1997 – 2001
Lenght of the vegetative season
1997 - 2001
Budbreak map
Ultima settimana marzo
Prima settimana aprile
Seconda settimana aprile
Terza settimana aprile
Bloom date
Ultima settimana maggio
Prima settimana giugno
Seconda settimana giugno
Terza settimana giugno
Veraison map
Ultima settimana di luglio
Prima settimana di agosto
Seconda settimana agosto
Terza settimana agosto
Total acidity at August 22th
Total acidity at August 29th
Total acidity at September 5th
Potential alcohol at August 22th
Potential alcohol at August 29th
Potential alcohol at September 5th
pH at August 22th
pH at August 29th
pH at September 5th
exposure, elevation, climate, bioclimatic
indexes, phenological phases, must
parameters (alcohol, acidity, pH)
The cartography display (scale
1:25.000) of different parameters
allows to zone the Moscato d’Asti
production area in 3 sub-zones
early zone
late zone
intermediate zone
with more or
less earliness
Ripeness
EARLY RIPENESS
Coazzolo, Castagnole,
Mombaruzzo
ZONES WITH
INTERMEDIATE RIPENESS
Acqui, Neive, Strevi
LATE RIPENESS
S.Stefano Belbo,
Serralunga
CONCLUSIONS
1. The thematic maps obtained could be
used to plan agronomic and vine
growing strategies.
Knowledge of expected phenological
dates and of potential qualitative
indexes can allow to plan vintage time.
CONCLUSIONS
2. The budbreak, bloom, veraison
phases have taken place in a range
of 10 to 20 days or more in
different zones.
CONCLUSIONS
3. In the same zones where we have
seen lower values of bioclimatic
indexes, phenological phases were
posticipated and potential alcohol
decreased.
At the same time, acidity increased
and pH decreased, showing a
clear ripening delay.
CONCLUSIONS
Grapes located in the northern zone of
the production area
with higher thermal summations, lower
elevation, lower slope
ripen earlier than vines of the southern
zone
with lower thermal summation, higher
elevation, higher slope