Vineyard Research Cartography

Project Overview

The western United States’ topography, sustainability, and climate diversity contribute to its worldwide renown in viticulture. Both vinters and researchers believe that this environmental heterogeneity also influences the numerous wine varieties and the conditions of their production.

Professor Ron Runnebaum at UC Davis collaborated with DataLab to explore how the chemical and sensorial properties of West Coast-grown Pinot Noirs and are affected by the coast’s varied topography and climate. To better understand the geographic scale of this research, DataLab created a set of maps portraying the vineyard study sites for three publications exploring the connections between wine chemistry and the environment. These maps enable readers to more clearly visualize the locations and topographical features of each vineyard, and highlight the overall scope of each project.

1. Investigating the impact of regionality on the sensorial and chemical aging characteristics of Pinot noir grown throughout the U.S. West Coast (2020)

This project examines the differences in aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and chemical composition among Pinot Noir wines made from a single clone grape grown across 12 California vineyards. Despite the similar genetic profile of the grapes and standardized winemaking practices, the wines contained unique chemical and sensorial profiles across the aging process. The researchers determined that the location of the vineyard is one of the main factors in developing these differences, though soil type, rootstock age, soil pH, and other factors also contribute. These findings are especially critical for wineries and winemakers who wish to emphasize special or unique characteristics of their vineyard or region.

2. Reproducibility of elemental profile across two vintages in Pinot noir wines from fourteen different vineyard sites (2020)

This paper investigated the reproducibility of 30 different elements in the chemical profile of Pinot noir wines from 2015 and 2016 grown using a single clone variety of grape. These grapes were grown in 14 different vineyards across the widely varied topography from Oregon to Southern California. 19 of the 30 elements were proven to be reproducible in wines from 8 vineyards. By comparing the elemental profiles of these Pinot noirs, the researchers concluded that the origin and growing site factors of each vineyard are directly correlated with the elemental profile of the wine.

3. Understanding Smoke Exposure Results: Pinot noir Baseline Concentrations of Smoke Impact Markers across Five Vintages (2021)

In order to help winemakers along the U.S. west coast determine the effects of smoke on their Pinot noirs from year to year, this study examined smoke exposure marker compounds to better understand the impact of wildfire smoke on individual wines. The researchers determined that the baseline concentrations of the studied smoke impact markers were low in this particular group of Pinot noirs, but suggest that west coast winemakers familiarize themselves with baseline concentrations in order to determine wildfire risk to particular wine vintages.

DataLab Contact

• Michele Tobias (technical lead)