Proprietà degli suoli di Erbaluce di Caluso DOGC

Background and aims: The vineyards of Erbaluce di Caluso DOGC are located on the flanks of the Ivrea morainic amphitheatre in the historic Canavese region. Moraines are the thousands year-old landmarks which identity a viticultural region, since the Roman era to present. Their origin dates to the glacial periods of the middle and late Pleistocene and are characterized today by specific geomorphic and pedological features. The Erbaluce cultivation techniques have deeply modified the landscape and the soils that differ with respect to the non-anthropogenic ones of the same area. The aim of this thesis was to characterise the soils of the Erbaluce vineyards, using bibliographic and cartographic approaches, followed by the chemical characterization of the soil samples. Method and Results: The study area was divided into three zones, based on environmental and site characteristics: the eastern and western lateral moraines (respectively the zones of Piverone and San Giorgio di Canavese) and the southern frontal moraine (Caluso). Chemical analyses have highlighted the differences in textures between the vineyards of the three moraines. The soils of the southern moraine have a higher percentage of coarse sand and organic matter. The soils of the eastern moraine, are also sandy, but the complex topography originates a higher diversity of soil texture. Soils of the western moraine, less disturbed by human, are the most developed and less fertile. From the data collected from local producers, it has been observed that, in the most developed soils from the western moraine, the sugar concentration shows lower values than those from the eastern moraine, but the latter shows a lower yield and total acidity. Conclusion: The differences in texture between moraines seem to be an essential element of the local typicity. Understanding the interaction of soil chemical and physical characteristics with other environmental factors can help in formulating production objectives and adapting to environmental and economic contexts. For these reasons an in-depth investigation about soils and site conditions is fundamental for vineyard sustainability.