Observation et modélisation spatiale du climat des terroirs viticoles dans un contexte de changement climatique – TERVICLIM

Many questions about the climate change concern the geosystems at small scales. The results of the global climatic models show a climatic change during the XXIth century. The climatic change will have effects at small scales and on vine growing. The knowledge of the climatic change is necessary to decide prevention measures. The numerical simulations allow to show the probable changes in temperature or precipitation in a country or a group of countries, but no model allows to perform a numerical simulation of climatic changes at small scales (a few hundred metres). The choice of varieties of vine and the wine quality depends on natural environment factors, mainly soil and climate. The wine quality depends on the small-scale climatic features of each vine growing site (terroirs), therefore a strong spatial climatic variability is shown on relatively small areas. A methodology including small-scales meteorogical and agronomical measurements and climate modelling will be developed to identify the climate(s) of the wine producing areas precisely, in order to find answers to the future climatic change by performing an adapted simulation. Meteorological stations will be settled on each selected site according to the topographical features (slope, exposure, ...). The combination between a numerical model adapted to small-scales and a global model results could allow to obtain results, which could be useful to the Wine Industry. In this project, We will use and apply in particular statistic models and the RAMS méso-scale model (Regional Atmospheric Modeling System). These results will enable to contribute the vine and wine professionals to viticultural recommendation and optimal wine growing areas, in order to lessen the impact of the climatic change. Six vineyards were selected in different areas, which each have their climatic features and their characteristics of wine quality: Champagne (France), Burgundy (France), Loire Valley (France), the area of Porto (Portugal), Stellenbosch (South Africa) and the area of Valparaiso (Chile). The choice of relatively neighbouring vineyards in the same country and of vineyards located in very different geographical positions (in latitude, exposure, distance from the coast...) will enable to study the climatic variability at different scales, (macro-, meso- and micro / local-). Research partners will take part in this project in each studied area. These partners are specialists in climatology, agronomy, climate modelisation and viticulture. They are researchers (in universities or agronomical institutes) or they are wine growers and / or are working in farmers' associations, wine grower unions.