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The North Atlantic Oscillation affects the quality of Cava (Spanish sparkling wine)

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Abstract

This study explores the possible effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the quality of Spanish Cava. We found a significant negative relationship between the mean NAO for the months of March through August of each year between 1970 and 2008 and the probability of obtaining a top quality Cava. The NAO is associated with temperature and rainfall variations in the Cava region, which affect vine physiological processes during grape maturity. The probability of obtaining a top quality Cava was highest when the mean value of the NAO was negative, which causes the mean temperature in the Cava area to decrease, with positive consequences on Cava quality. Although the overall discrimination capacity and explanatory power of the model were low, 80 % of clearly favorable years were classified correctly as corresponding to top quality Cava, and 70 % of clearly unfavorable years were classified correctly as non top quality Cava.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the project CGL2009-11316 (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain, and FEDER). We thank Andy Patterson for his help with the English and his comments on a previous version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biogeography, Diversity, and Conservation Research Team, Department of Animal Biology, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain

    Raimundo Real & José Carlos Báez

  2. Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Puerto pesquero s/n Fuengirola, Malaga, Spain

    José Carlos Báez

Authors
  1. Raimundo Real
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  2. José Carlos Báez
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Correspondence to Raimundo Real.

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Real, R., Báez, J.C. The North Atlantic Oscillation affects the quality of Cava (Spanish sparkling wine). Int J Biometeorol 57, 493–496 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-012-0573-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-012-0573-3

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