Managing Grape Acidity: Primary Influencing Factors and Viticultural Techniques

This manuscript investigates the principal factors influencing grape acidity and examines how various viticultural practices can be employed to regulate it. Through a comprehensive literature review, the study first outlines key concepts of grape acidity, including its role in wine quality, the major organic acids involved, and their metabolic pathways. It then explores the primary environmental and genetic factors affecting acid synthesis and degradation in grapes. Finally, the work reviews a range of vineyard management techniques—such as site selection, rootstock and variety choice, canopy and soil management—and their potential to modulate acidity levels. The findings highlight the interrelated nature of the factors that influence grape acidity, as well as the varying impact of each depending on specific site conditions, cultivar, and timing and intensity of practice application. In light of changing climatic conditions, which increasingly challenges the retention of grape acidity in many growing regions, this study underscores the importance of an informed, site-specific viticultural approach to support grape and wine quality.