The impact of terroir on the physico-chemical specificity of indigenous and international white wines cultivated in Romania

Abstract

This study examines the influence of terroir on the physico-chemical characteristics of white wines, focusing on both local and international varieties grown in Romania. The research compares Sauvignon blanc (SB) and Fetească albă (FA) wines from various Romanian viticultural regions, highlighting how the growing conditions, soil-climate characteristics, and vinification methods from 2019 and 2021 impacted the wines’ properties. Physico-chemical parameters were assessed to establish quality benchmarks. Findings revealed a wide range of quality parameters, with alcohol strength varying from 11.04 % vol. alc. (FA, 2019) to 14.6 % vol. alc. (SB, 2021), volatile acidity ranging from 0.1 g/L acetic acid (FA, 2019) to 0.63 g/L acetic acid (SB, 2019), and reducing substances from 0.31 g/L (FA, 2019) to 12.00 g/L (SB, 2021). Total acidity ranged from 5.05 to 7.39 g tartaric acid/L, correlating with wine treatments and initial grape values.