15th International Terroir Congress: Bridging Local Wine Industry with Global Terroir Science [Mendoza, Argentina, November 18-22, 2024]

For the first time since its inception in 1996, the congress will grace the soils of South America, choosing the Andean landscapes of Mendoza, Argentina.

The three-day event is co-hosted by the Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias University of Cuyo, IBAM (Instituto de Biologi´a Agricola de Mendoza) and the Catena Institute of Wine.

Scientific Sessions include:

A | Soil

Innovation in terroir studies
Physical, chemical, and microbiological properties of soils
Soil health indicators
Adaptation to soil through viticultural practices
Performance of rootstocks in different soils

B | Climate

Projections and scenarios of climate change
Climate change impacts
Climate-related challenges and opportunities for viticulture
New technologies to assess climatic parameters
Index and climate characterization

C | Plant material and management

Selection of plant material and management practices in response to climate change projections
Epigenetic mechanisms in grapevine acclimation
Impact of soil and climate change on vines, wine quality and typicity
Adaptation to climate through viticultural practices
Grapevines phenotypic plasticity in response to changing environments

D | Malbec

Historical journey and terroir expression
Studies of Malbec cultivation and winemaking in Argentina and worldwide.
Properties of Malbec wines cultivated in different regions.

Insights from attending experts:

Dr. Laura Catena – Local wine producer, Catena Institute of Wine
“We are excited to greet sommeliers, wine lovers and wine trade who are interested in the subtleties of wine terroir. The study, preservation and celebration of terroir depend on the interest that wine lovers and consumers develop for this most important topic. The combination of an extraordinary natural setting, exciting presentations, and local food (bountiful asado-barbecue) and wine hospitality should make attending this year’s Terroir Congress in Mendoza the experience of a lifetime.”

Dr. Luciano Calderon – Argentinian geneticist and leading author of Malbec’s genome sequencing project
“As a geneticist, I consider that terroir is a combination of multiple variables, which all together constitute the scenario able to bring up the best or the worst of any combination of genes. Each cultivar, each clone and each plant is a unique combination of genes that expresses flavor in different ways, depending on its growing context, the terroir.”

Dr. Rodrigo Lo´pez Plantey – Professor and local symposium organizer at FCA UNCuyo, Argentina
“It’s a unique opportunity for Argentina’s wine industry to connect and collaborate with the international scientific community, together advancing our sector’s future.”

Dr. Kees Van Leeuwen – Bordeaux’s leading terroir academic
“The concept of terroir relates wine to its origin, the place where it is produced. Multiple terroir factors, including soil and climate, craft the taste of wine. Many researchers around the world work on explaining the mechanisms involved. These researchers gather once every two years since 1996 at the International Terroir Congress. The congress will take place for the first time in South America, in Mendoza, Argentina, from 18-22 November 2024. It is a unique occasion for an update on the most exciting terroir research and an opportunity to meet researchers from the terroir community in person.”

For further details and registration please visit https://congressterroir.com.ar

Source: www.congressterroir.com

Happy Malbec World Day – Here are Some Fun Facts to Help you Celebrate

Wines of Argentina has been paying tribute to Malbec on April 17th since 2011.

This date was chosen because on the same day in 1853 the first agricultural school in Argentina was founded, becoming a symbol of the transformation of Argentina’s wine industry.

Malbec in Argentina

  1. There are 112,823 acres of Malbec planted in Argentina;
  2. There were 129 million litres of Malbec exported by Argentina in 2020; and
  3. Argentinian Malbec is grown at some of the highest altitudes in the world. In Mendoza, the average height of vineyards is 900 meters above sea level, but some of the highest vineyards in the world are found in the north of Argentina, in Salta, Catamarca, and Tucumán – the Calchaquí Valleys – In Salta some vineyards are as high as 3,000 meters above sea level.

Fun Facts

  1. Did you know that Malbec was originally associated with South-West France?

A grape variety Magdeleine Noire des Charentes (which is also a parent to Merlot) was once the most commonly planted grape variety in South-West France. It was then known as Côt?

  1. Did you know that that Malbec was grown in Bordeaux until the harsh winter in 1956 which killed off most of the vineyards?
  2. Did you know that Malbec is a challenging grape to grow? It has a poor resistance to bad weather, frost and pests and requires substantial sunlight and heat to become fully mature. It is particularly prone to coulure and mildew?
  3. Did you know that Argentina reinvigorated Malbec?

Argentina is the biggest Malbec exporter in the world, but it is also the fifth biggest major wine producer in the world with 14.5mhl of wine produced in 2018 alone. Exporting 128,828,560 litres of Malbec in 2020, and exporting wine to 119 countries, Argentina has seen a 52% increase in production of wines made from the grape since 2010.

  1. Malbec is also produced around the world in the USA, Chile, South Africa and Australia.

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