Applying Geospatial Tools and Techniques to Viticulture Adam J. Mathews* Department of Geography, Texas State University-San Marcos Abstract Viticulture is the science of growing grapevines, in particular, those used in the production of wine grapes and wine. Although many different research areas exist within viticulture, the latest implement geospatial tools and techniques such as GIS, GPS, and remote sensing to better moni- tor the crop and therefore make better decisions regarding it. Geospatial techniques allow both researchers and vineyard managers to study the natural spatial variability that exists within and between vineyard blocks. This paper reviews three emerging subfields of geographic research in viticulture: site location and suitability analysis, vineyard land use identification, and precision viti- culture. Future research directions and integration of additional geographic tools and techniques are also discussed. Introduction to Geographic Research in Viticulture Growing grapes is inherently a geographic process. This is because all of the factors that help create optimal grapes for wine vary over space. Thus, geographic research in viticul- ture has long been a tradition of regional geography studies across the globe (Morrison 1936; Meigs 1941; Vince 1946; Weigend 1954; Peters 1984; Newman 1986). Geographic research in viticulture in the past several decades, though, has shifted from a descriptive regional science to become a more applied, technical research area. This paper reviews research concerning viticulture, which due to recent technological developments has been able to find new ways to examine and better understand the common viticultural prob- lem of spatial variability. Tremendous spatial variation exists within specific vineyard blocks as well as between blocks in regards to site characteristics (soil, climate, slope, moisture, etc.), surface structure (trellis training system of vine rows and inter-row spaces), and grape yield (quantity and quality). Due to this, viticulture is being studied using geospatial tools and techniques. The geographic perspective, in particular the use of geographic tools and techniques, that has been applied to viticulture is currently revolu- tionizing the international grape and wine industry. This affords viticulturists the ability to better choose sites for future vineyards, accurately inventory their current vineyard land area, as well as improve the crop quality and / or quantity to increase profits. The main geographic tools and techniques used to research viticulture are global positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), and remote sensing. The specific tools and / or techniques utilized are dictated by the type of research being carried out. Research Areas Three distinct areas of viticultural research utilizing geographic techniques have devel- oped: (i) vineyard site location and suitability analysis, (ii) vineyard block (parcel) identifi- cation, and (iii) precision viticulture. Figure 1 shows these three research foci coming Geography Compass 7/1 (2013): 22–34, 10.1111/gec3.12018 ª 2013 The Author Geography Compass ª 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd