Viticulture
Altitude, aspect and slope
How the shape of the land changes the climate of a vineyard.
Overview
Temperature falls roughly 0.6°C for every 100 m of elevation. Altitude is how Mendoza, Salta and Etna produce fresh wines at latitudes that ought to be too hot.
Altitude also increases the diurnal range — hot days, cold nights — which lets grapes ripen while retaining acidity.
Aspect matters enormously in marginal climates. In the northern hemisphere a south-facing slope receives far more sun, which in the Mosel is the difference between ripening and failing.
Slope also aids drainage and lets cold air drain away downhill, reducing frost risk. Both are reasons the best vineyards are so often on hillsides.
Sources
Sources consulted
- WSET educational materials and the Systematic Approach to Tasting — Wine & Spirit Education Trust
- UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology — University of California, Davis
More in the vineyard
Viticulture
Climate and wine style
The largest single influence on what a wine tastes like — larger than grape, producer or winemaking, and the reason the same variety is unrecognisable in two places.
Viticulture
Climate change and wine
Warming is already reshaping where wine is grown and what it tastes like.
Viticulture
Harvest and picking decisions
When to pick — the single most consequential decision a producer makes each year.