Wine quality can be evaluated via chemical grape or
wine analysis using recent techniques (such as gas chromatography
together with artificial sensors such as the olfactometer),
allowing for quantitative objective evaluation
of the components involved in final wine composition determination
(Bertrand et al. 2000). An alternative method
for assessing wine quality is sensory analysis based on
evaluation of color, aroma, and taste to determine annual
vintage ratings. Data series are available of wine quality
rankings, making it possible to determine the relationships
between wine composition and climate variability (Rodo
and Comin 2000, Esteves and Manso Orgaz 2001).
This research was performed with the aim of analyzing
the relationship between the quality of Italian wine and
the meteorological data available on the Internet. Different
temporal scales were compared in order to propose a
wine-quality forecasting method based on meteorological
conditions observed several months before harvest. Results
are discussed with the goal of assessing wine quality
with the freely available data and resolving concerns
related to the use of ground weather stations.