Il vino più alto d'Europa": l'influenza della geologia e del clima nella coltura della vite in Valle d'Aosta

«The highest wine of Europe»: influence of geology and climate on grape growing in the Aosta valley. Climate, quaternary dynamics, vine cultivars and wine production contribute to define three different physiographic zones in the Aosta Valley. The Zone A (fig. 2), a NW-SE trending valley at the foot of the Mt. Bianco, is characteried by cold humid climate, with relatively short summer (fig. 3). fluvial and gravitational dynamics. The «Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle» wine from «Prié Blanc» grapes as well as the «Enfer d’Arvier» from «Petiti Rouge» grapes are here produced. Prié Blanc vines are cultivated on the better exposed (SW) alluvial and detrital fans where soil is characterized by cm-sized skeleton of schists and carbonate debris (figs. 4a, 4b e 5a). Petit Rouge vines are cultivated on a big landslide of late glacial age. The soil is characterized by chaotic m- to decameter-sized blocks with sandy matrix (figs. 4c and 5b). The Zone B is characterized by dry climate, Pleistocenic glacial and gravitative deposits. The Torrette and Chambave wines from «Petit Rouge» grapes, and the «Nus» from «Vien de Nus» grapes are obtained. Vines are cultivated on Pleistocenic tillites (figs. 4d and 5c). The Zone C is characterized by temperate humid climate, eluvial and gravitative dynamics. The «Arnad-Monjovet» and «Donnas» wines are here produced from Nebbiolo grapes. The vines are cultivated on steep terraced slope with eluvial deposits, thin humus-rich soil wich skeleton is characterized by cm-sized macaschists.