Viticulture, landscapes and the marketing of our wine

Le Dipartimento di Progettazione dell ‘Architettura del Politecnico di Milano et l’Istituto di Viticoltura della Facoltà d’Agraria di Piacenza dell’Università Cattolica del Sacra Cuore, ont elaboré une proposition pour réaliser, dans l’aire de colline de la province de Piacenza, un Parco Produttivo Agrovitivinicolo.

Drought is one of the most challenging threats for viticulture because of its impact on reducing yield and on the composition of grapes.

This study investigated if compositional differences between Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varieties could influence the production of yeast-derived compounds. This work was based on the analysis of 40 experimental red wines made in triplicate fermentations from grapes harvested from two consecutive vintages in New South Wales (Australia). Grapes were picked at three maturity stages using berry sugar accumulation as physiological indicator, from nine commercial vineyards located in three different climatic regions (temperate, temperate-warm and warm-hot). A range of 30 yeast-derived wine volatiles including esters and alcohols were quantified by HS/SPME-GC/MS. Ammonia, amino-acids and lipids were analysed in the corresponding grapes. The juice total soluble solids (°Brix) in addition to the wine alcohol and residual sugar levels were also measured. The influence of grape maturity on wine ester composition was also variety dependent, particularly for higher alcohol acetate and ethyl ester of branched acids. This study highlights that varietal differences observed in Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines involve fermentation-derived compounds irrespective of the site (soil, climate, viticultural practices).

Postharvest dehydration is a widely employed technique in winemaking to enhance sugar concentration and secondary metabolites from grapes. Different grape varieties exhibit varying responses in terms of dehydration rate and the resulting chemical composition.

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).