Abstract:
The paper presents the results
of a study regarding the mesoclimate
suitability assessment of three Romania’s
wine-growing centres (Urlaţi-Dealu Mare
vineyard, Huşi-Huşi vineyard, Bucium-Iaşi
vineyard), by the Huglin’s heliothermal
index and by a GIS based multicriteria
method. The results are compared between
the two types of analysis and with the
macroclimate suitability map of Romania’s
wine regions, expressed by Huglin’s
heliothermal index spatial distribution. The
research show that the values of Huglin’s
heliothermal index in Romania’s wine
regions varies between 2341.48 on the
Danube Terraces from the southern limit of
the country to lower than 1500 on the intramountainous
wine region Transylvania. The
prevailing climate class over the Romania’s
wine regions is IH-1 that define temperate
climate. According to the assessment on
Romania’s macroclimate scale by Huglin’s
heliothermal index, the three wine-growing
centers are characterized by temperate
climate (IH-1), that indicate the existence of
climate conditions for grapes maturation to
Cabernet Sauvignon variety. The
assessment on mesoclimate scale by the GIS
based multicriteria method reveals a wider
variability of local climate than that resulted
from macroclimate and mesoclimate
analysis by Huglin’s heliothermal index, as
follows: the climate of Urlaţi wine-growing
center is suitable for quality red wines
production; in Huşi wine-growing centre
only 16.95% from the area has climate
suitable to produce red table wines; the
climate of Bucium wine-growing centre is
not suitable for red wine production.
Comparison with the Romania’s vineyards
wine production specialization confirms that
the results of multicriteria GIS based
evaluation reveal accurate the local climate
suitability and demonstrate the need of the
fine-scale assessment of vineyard climate in
the viticultural zoning.
