Atmospheric modeling: a tool to identify locations best suited for vine cultivation. Preliminary results in the Stellenbosch region

Grapes are one of the world’s primary fruit crops, and pruning activities generate high amounts of annual wood wastes [1]. These pruning shoots contain valuable phenolic compounds and could have numerous potential applications [1,2]. Consequently, the aim of this work was to evaluate the physico-chemical properties of vine pruning residues with potential as enological additives. For this purpose, grapevine shoots from 12 varieties grown in Chile were collected during the winter of 2021.

Quantity and quality of flavonoïds in grape berries are important parts of their global quality. Several studies had shown that tannins are responsible for some major flavour properties of red wines such as colour, bitterness and astringency. Nevertheless, their synthesis and properties are still misunderstood. Some studies had suggested that the tannic pool was set before veraison. Thus, the comprehension of the relations between environment and setting of this tannic pool, up to the harvest, is not sufficient.

Since the approval in 2019 of the use of high-power ultrasound (US) in winemaking to support extractive processes from grape to must, the study of this technology in red winemaking has increased significantly, with laboratory and semi-industrial scale studies.

This study aims to evaluate the interest of using an under-vine cover crop as a sustainable management tool replacing herbicides or tillage to control weeds, evaluating its effects on yield and berry parameters in a semi-arid climate. 
The performance of Trifolium fragiferum as an under-vine cover crop was evaluated in 2018 and 2019 in a Merlot vineyard in

Grape pomace (GP) is a winemaking by-product particularly rich in (poly)phenols and dietary fiber, which are the main active compounds responsible for its health-promoting effects. GP-derived products have been proposed to manage cardiovascular risk factors, including endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and obesity. Studies on the potential impact of GP on gut health are much more recent. However, it is suggested that, to some extent, this activity of GP as a cardiometabolic health-promoting ingredient would begin in the gastrointestinal tract as GP components (i.e., (poly)phenols and fiber) undergo extensive catabolism, mainly by the action of the intestinal microbiota, that gives rise to low-molecular-weight bioactive compounds that can be absorbed and utilized by the body.