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In this work, bioclimatic parameters and indices relevant to the grapevine are estimated for the years 2000 (recent-pat), 2049 (medium-term future) and 2097 (long-term future), based on very high resolution (1 km × 1 km) MPI-WRF RCP8.5 climate simulations. The selected parameters and indices are the mean temperature during the grapevine growing season period (April to October, Tgs), the cumulative rainfall during the grapevine growing season period (Pgs), the Winkler index (WI), the Huglin heliothermic index (HI), the night cold index (CI) and the dryness index (DI). In general, a significant increase in mean temperature during the grapevine growing season period is observed, together with a significant decrease in precipitation. The recent-past WI is associated with the production of high-quality wines; the higher values predicted for the future represent intensive production of wines of intermediate quality. The HI shows the passage of a grapevine growing region considered as temperate-warm to a warm category of higher helio-thermicity. The recent-past CI indicates very cool conditions (associated with quality wines), while in the future there is a tendency for temperate or warmer nights. Finally, DI indicates an increase in water stress considered already high under the recent-past climate conditions. These results point to an increased climatic stress on the Douro region wine production and increased vulnerability of its vine varieties, providing evidence to support strategies aimed to preserve the high-quality wines in the region and their typicality in a sustainable way.

Arsenic fractionation has been studied in nine vineyard soils from a wine-producing area in Galicia (NW Spain) characterized by an unusually high As content. Total As concentrations are 7 to 10 times higher the maximum values allowed by the legislation, reaching maximum value of 200 mg kg(-1). The study of As fractionation revealed that those fractions showing strong correlations to crystalline Fe and Al hydrous oxides (r>0.69, p<0.01 and r>0.71, p<0.01 respectively) represented, on average, higher than the 80% of total As. The low levels of mobile and potentially toxic As fractions (<4% of total As) suggest that its toxicity is partially minimized in these soils, although the modifications induced by soil management could promote an increase of As availability.

Total and extractable (5 extractants) Cu concentrations were determined in thirteen acid vineyards soils. Mean total copper concentration was 259 mg kg(-1) and most of the soil samples (87%) were above the upper limit allowed by the European Union for this element in soils. The largest Cu fraction was found to be that bound to soil organic matter, which accounted for 49% of the total Cu. None of the Cu fractions showed significant differences with depth. Nevertheless, bioavailable Cu (extracted in Na(2)-EDTA) was found to show a strong correlation with Cu bound to soil organic matter, which may indicate that Na(2)-EDTA is able to extract part of the organically bound Cu, resulting in an overestimation of bioavailable Cu. However, practices associated to soil use change and management affecting the stability of Cu organic complexes could induce an increase in bioavailable Cu levels in these soils.