Spanish vineyard classification according to bioclimatic indexes

Abstract

Background and Aims: Spain has more than one million hectares of vineyards, being the first country in the world, and the third in production of wine. Local zoning studies have been carried out using bioclimatic indexes to show the influence of climate; however, no detailed study has been undertaken at national level that included the current area of vineyards. The aim of this study was to prepare a thermal characterisation and zoning of winegrowing areas in Spain through four bio- climatic indexes. Methods and Results: From data of the European Climate Assessment & Dataset (1980–2010), four bioclimatic indexes adapted to viticulture were calculated and integrated into a geographic information system, which allowed the graphical visualisation of their patterns by means of geostatistical interpolation techniques (kriging). The results show that there is a significant spatial variability of the climate from a winegrowing perspective, and each index defines the differences between the climatic classes suitable for viticulture. Conclusions: In order to define and assess the climatic differences in wine production and the suitability of the Spanish mainland territory, it is necessary to combine several indexes. Significance of the Study: For the first time, the climatic variability of Spain has been described and the peculiarities that differentiate its vineyards have been highlighted. High-resolution kriged maps have made this study possible.