The organic vineyard as a balanced ecosystem: Improved organic grape management and impacts on wine quality

• Published in: Scientia horticulturae 2016-08, Vol.208, p.43-56
• Main Authors: Provost, Caroline, Pedneault, Karine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biodiversity; Biological control; consumer demand; Cover crop; ecosystems; Fungicide; grapes; Grapevine disease; Integrated pest management; Organic farming; organic foods; organic production; Organic viticulture; pests; Phenolic compounds; Sulfur dioxide; vineyards; viticulture; Wine microbiota; wine quality; winemaking; wines
• ISSN: 0304-4238; 1879-1018
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2016.04.024

•A rich biodiversity contributes to balance vineyard’s ecosystem and maintain pests and diseases under control;.•Preventive methods minimize the use of organic pesticides for pest and disease management;.•Organic management may increase the level of certain phenolic compounds in wine;.•Organic viticulture impacts the biodiversity of the fermentation microbiota;.•Organic viticulture has little impact on wine sensory perception. Worldwide interest for organic farming increased significantly since the last decade. Wine makes no exception to this trend, as consumer demand for organic wines and environmental friendly viticulture practices increases. Organic wine production aims at producing high quality grapes and wines while minimizing the use of inputs, both in the vineyard and the winery. Its success lies in an approach that takes advantage of the biodiversity to maintain a balance between resource availability, living organisms and productivity in the vineyard, while maintaining pest and disease at the lowest level. In this review, we will present management practices for successful grape production under organic management, including methods for disease and pest prevention, and treatments in the vineyard. Then, we will review the impact of organic grape management on the quality of organic wine.