“Terre alte di Brisighella” : an example of zoning in the area of the Appennino Faentino

Between 2007-2009, the project “Terre alte di Brisighella” has provided an interdisciplinary study aimed at thecharacterization ofthe vine growing area of the City of Brisighella, which belongs to the “Comunità Montana dell’Appennino Faentino” (RA). The study was carried out on the two most representative cultivars of the region: the red Sangiovese grape and the white Albana grape, across a total of 52 vineyards. At first, the survey indicated a geo-pedological characterization that permitted identification of the main geological areas, their main soil types, and the most important morphological characteristics (altitude, slope, and exposure). In parallel, a study of meteorological and climatic parameters was conducted that determined the variability of the area.The combination of these aspects, the results obtained from the collection of agronomic data (phenology, vegetative and productive parameters, and analytical parameters of musts and grapes) and sensory analysis of wines, made it possible to define existing correlations. From the preliminary morphological analysis, it has been possible to observe that there is a considerable morphological variability in this wine region. In fact, the vineyards recorded very different slopes, from 1% to 35%, and different altitudes, with sites that reach up to 400m above sea level. As a result of these particular conditions, the most representative correlations have been identified in relation to the quota and the slope. Specifically, the first variable has influenced the phenology both for the Albana and for the Sangiovese, while only the Albana showed a relationshipbetween the quota and polyphenolic concentration and certain sensory parameters of wines.The white grape cultivar also seems more sensitive to slope changes, while changes to the Sangiovese in terms of grape quality and wine sensory profiles seem more related to soil texture.