'Diurnal temperature variation' is a
viticultural term that relates to the variation in
temperature that occurs from the highs of the
day to the cool of
nights.
Wine regions situated in areas of high
altitude experience the most dramatic swing in temperature variation during the course of a day. In
grapes this variation has the effect of producing high
acid and high
sugar contents as the grapes' exposure to
sunlight increases the ripening qualities while the sudden drop in temperature at night preserves the balance of natural acids in the grape.
[1]
References
1. J. Robinson ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 691 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0198609906