In viticulture, this term can have two meanings:
In meteorology, a common term for water that either falls to the earth in the liquid form of rain or thunderstorms and/or in the solid form of hail, sleet, drizzle or snow from clouds, or is deposited as surface precipitation directly by condensation (as in dew) or resublimation, i.e. the immediate transition of a substance from the gaseous to the solid state (as in frost) on objects such as the earth's surface. The amount of precipitation required in viticulture also depends on the respective soil conditions, such as water drainage and water storage capacity. The annual lower limit is at least 200 mm of precipitation; an average of 500 mm is required for quality viticulture and 750 mm in warmer climates with high evaporation.
For my many years of work as an editor with a wine and culinary focus, I always like to inform myself about special questions at Wine lexicon. Spontaneous reading and following links often leads to exciting discoveries in the wide world of wine.
Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien