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2 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J a n - F e b 2 017 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m Kevin Pogue, professor of geol- ogy at Whitman College, Wash. "What's most important about soil is its ability to transmit water or its hydrologic properties." For Jones, proof comes from observations that the same grape variety doesn't produce the same quality wine in different climates. tal science and policy, director of the division of business, commu- nication and the environment at Southern Oregon University. "The group has grown as other scientists from the fields of geology, biology, ecology, tourism, economics and others have seen the range of inter- esting questions that arise from the study of terroir." According to Jones, scientists have been asked to help identify the most important aspects of ter- roir and define the boundaries between nature and nurture. Jones says there are five main areas of terroir study: quantifying the influ- ence of factors on vine growth through climate-soil-water relation- ships; factors related to fruit com- position and wine quality; regional fingerprinting of wines (microbial signatures); viticulture zoning (iden- tifying the best terroirs); and preci- sion viticulture (spatial technologies to manage and improve the crop). PRIORITIZING FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE TERROIR By its nature, the study of terroir is multidisciplinary. It combines the expertise and research of a dozen fields, among them geology, soil science, climatology, agronomy, m i c r o b i o l o g y, p h y s i o c h e m i s t r y, oenology, sociology and econom- ics. In his presentation at the con- gress, van Leeuwen quoted Warren Moran from New Zealand, who said, "Most scientists are victims of their own discipline." As such, we look to identify the common ground where researchers across disciplines find a consensus. One factor that gets credit from several quarters is climate. According to van Leeuwen's 2002 study, climate bears more influence on terroir than soil, but the effects of both are mediated through their influence on water supply to the vine. For van Leeuw- en, the key factors are prioritized in no uncertain terms as air tempera- ture, vine water status and vine nitrogen status. "Research has shown that cli- mate is the first and foremost fac- tor influencing terroir," says Dr. Whereas locations with a similar climate but different geology and soils can produce similar quality wines with flavors and aromas that are typical for the variety. Geologist Scott Burns, an expert in the soils of Washington and Ore- gon, who teaches at Portland State University, cites eight factors that