| Grapes are widely grown in various regions of the world; in Brazil, viticulture is considered to be an important form of agriculture. There are two distinct market branches: wine and other distilled alcoholic products and natural juice, plus the domestic consumption. The production of wine, grape-juice and by-products from the wine industry occurs in twelve Brazilian regions, with a larger concentration in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo. Grape-crop management depends upon such agro-meteorological variables as temperature, solar radiation, atmospheric humidity and water availability, since these can greatly influence both crop yield and quality. For regions where most of the rain coincides with the development and maturation of the fruit, the... |
