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Frosts can damage the plant when
it is producing new shoots during
its growing cycle. On the other
hand, vines can endure tempera-
tures as low as -15°C if a cold
spell strikes while they are dormant
in winter. Wind can be a positive
or a negative factor, depending
on its speed, strength, persistence,
and dampness: in general, mod-
erate, slightly humid winds are
beneficial. Mists and fogs always
have a negative effect, especially
during the growing season.
Finally, it should be noted that
Spain possesses many vine-grow-
ing areas that ben-
efit from
special microcli-
mates. The O
Rosal, Priorato,
Ribera del Duero
and Sanlúcar de
Barrameda regions
are famous exam-
ples, but the list could
be much longer. These
microclimates, together with
particular aspects of physical
geography like the contours of
the valleys and slopes, give each
area special growing conditions
and, hence, wines with a marked
regional character.
Vine & soil
Vines can survive in
a great
diversity of
soils. The main re-
quirement is that soils
should not be too damp.
However, to obtain real quality it
is necessary for the soil to achieve
a balance of positive conditions,
physical and chemical.
One aspect, which needs to be
taken into account, is soil structure
-that is, its particular combination
of physical elements (clay, silica,
chalk, humus). The most suitable
soils are those capable of main-
taining underground air pockets,
which allow the plants’ roots to
breathe. Another important aspect
is texture, a result of the relative
proportion of finer elements such
as clay, lime and sand. Structure
and texture determine a soil’s
compactness, its permeability to
air and water and its retentive
capacity. These, in turn, deter-
mine the ease with which the
roots can grow through the
different soil layers and how
well excess water runs off the
soil.
Other important factors are,
firstly, the depth of the top-
soil that can be explored by
the plant’s roots; secondly,
soil temperature, which af-
fects biological processes