The effect of two management practices: grass cover (G) and traditional tillage (T) on the annual temperature variations of silt-loamy soil in inter-rows of sloping vineyard (Piedmont, Italy) was studied. Soil temperatures at depths of 6 cm and 11 cm and air temperature were recorded hourly during a whole year. In most of autumn and winter months the average daily soil temperatures were higher under G than T. The differences between minimum and maximum daily temperatures were pronounced the most strongly during the February - March period and in August. The mean standard deviations of monthly soil temperature at both depths were lower in G than in T in most months, mainly due to the damping effect of grass cover. In both treatments the deviations decreased with depth. Higher values of skewness and kurtosis of temperature in February and March under G than T indicate asymmetry and narrowness of daily temperature distribution in the former.