Methodological approach to zoning

The knowledge of the influence of soil conditions on the effects that different plant densities provoke in the agronomic grapevine behaviour becomes very interesting since it allows to focus the vineyard management on the optimization of the natural, hydric and human resources.

Valpolicella is a famous Italian wine-producing region. Wines produced in its different sub-regions are believed to be aromatically different, as confirmed by recent studies in our laboratory. Aging is a very common practice in Valpolicella and it is required by the appellation regulation for periods up to four years require wines. The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution, during aging, of volatile chemical composition of Valpolicella wines obtained from grapes harvested in different sub-regions during different vintages.

Traditional agricultural and agro-pastoral systems (prior to industrial revolution) often have the characteristic of being multiple systems, in which multiple crops are hosted simultaneously on the same plot. currently research suggests to study more in depth the potential of multiple agricultural systems in order to detect those characteristics of multiple agrarian systems that could allow modern viticulture to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change: rising temperatures with impacts on the phenological cycle of the vine, resurgence of plant deseases, extreme soil washout phenomena and hail storms, among others.

As is well known, Champagne is a product of the highest quality recognized in the international market. Champagne is a type of sparkling wine made in the Champagne region

Not only vintner’s decisions in the vineyard, but also winemaker’s choices of technology approaches in the cellar play a significant role in the final wine style and quality. Whereas traditional technologies within chosen terroir are quite well explored and thus somehow predictable, there is no proper knowledge available on possible outcomes in case of implementing novel, alternative winemaking strategies. To reveal their effects on wine aroma compounds and sensory characteristics, two alternative strategies
(cryoextraction or addition of whole grape berries during last stages of fermentation) were compared to classical Vipava valley winemaking approach as normally used for an autochthonous variety Zelen. After separate vinification and bottling, all the experimental wines were subjected to semiquantitative metabolic profiling of volatile compounds (VOCs) by means of GC/MS and were then also sensorialy evaluated by pre-trained panel.