International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 1 (2003) 89–94

Sunburn on the Vineyard: Terroir and the Sustainability of Juice Grapes in an Arid Climate

Janet Silbernagel and William G. Hendrix

Agricultural sustainability practices make the best use of both nature's resources and available technology, and generally avoid those land use practices that lead to greater environmental stress. There are examples in some agro-ecosystems, however, where stress is vital to food quality and productivity. In the case of grape production, a limited amount of environmental stress actually leads to an increase in fruit quality, and with wine grapes, to improved wine quality. But when the stress exceeds an acceptable threshold, vine vigour declines and production and quality may be compromised. Using our experiences with environmental stress in grapes grown in the landscapes of Central and Eastern Washington, USA, we question how agricultural sustainability should consider environmental stress, and at what point management interventions contribute or detract from a sustainable system. Framed by the two French land-related terms 'appellation' and 'terroir', we discuss agricultural sustainability for grape cultivation in an arid climate.

Keywords: APPELLATION, ENVIRONMENT STRESS, GRAPES, LANDSCAPE SUSTAINABILITY, MANAGEMENT ADAPTATIONS, TERROIR, VINEYARD

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