Methodology to assess vine cultivation suitability using climatic ranges for key physiological processes: results for three South African regions

The use of oenological additives is becoming a common practice due to the technological and sensory properties they provide to the wines. However, the number of studies focused on the impact that these additives might induce on wine flavor perception during wine tasting is still quite scarce. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of three different types of common oenological additives: two oenotannins (ellagitannin and gallotannin) and a commercial preparation of yeast mannoproteins on the long-lasting flavor perception (aroma and astringency).

The work was aimed at comparing some analytical methods used to characterize oenological tannins and the measure of oxygen consumption rate (OCR), in order to provide oenologists with a rapid method to test the antioxidant capacity of tannin based products and a tool to choose the best suited product for each purpose.

Measurements of parameters spatialy positionned, with on line sensors mounted on classical machinery or airborne imagery is no more a problem in viticulture. In a short time, high resolution data dedicated to the assessment of the vine characteristics, the soil, the harvest, etc. will become a reality.

Grape volatile compounds are mainly responsible for wine aroma, so it is important to know the va-rietal aromatic composition throughout ripening process. Currently, there are no tools that allow mea-suring the aromatic composition of grapes, in intact berries and periodically, throughout ripening, in the vineyard or in the winery. For this reason, this work evaluated the use of near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) to estimate the aromatic composition and total soluble solids (TSS) of Tempranillo Blanco berries during ripening. For this purpose, NIR spectra (1100-2100 nm) were acquired from 240 samples of in-tact berries, collected at different dates, from veraison to overripening.

Agriculture plantations are complex systems whose performance critically depends on the execution of several types of tasks with precise timing and efficiency to respond to different external factors. This is particularly true for orchards like vineyards, which need to be strictly monitored and regulated, as they are sensitive to diverse types of pests, and climate conditions. In these environments, managing and optimally scheduling the available work force and resources is not trivial and is usually done by teams of senior managers based on their experience. In this regard, having a baseline schedule could help them in the decision process and improve their results, in terms of time and resources spent.