Viticulture, landscapes and the marketing of our wine

AIM: Grape withering is an oenological post-harvest process used for production of reinforced and sweet wines. Drying can be carried out by keeping the ripe grape in traditional large, well-aired rooms (non-controlled environment) or, more and more often, in a warehouse under controlled conditions of airflow and relative humidity (controlled environment)[1].

Aims: The aims of this study were to (1) detect alterations in the reflectance spectra of vines with fungal diseases, (2) map these alterations, and (3) determine the best wavelengths which may be used as early indicators of fungal diseases in vines.

This study investigates how precipitation from November to February during each harvest year, influence the phenolic and isotopic profiles of red wines, particularly focusing on trans-resveratrol, total phenolic compounds, and carbon and oxygen isotopes (¹³C/¹²C and ¹⁸O/¹⁶O).

An appellation or geographic indication should be based on the terroir concept in order to ensure its integrity. The delimitation of viticultural terroirs must include two consecutive or parallel steps, namely (a) the characterisation of the environment and identification of homogenous environmental units (basic terroir units, natural terroir units) taking all natural factors into account, as well as (b) the characterisation of the viticultural and oenological potential of these units over time.

After some decades sunk into oblivion, pruning has recently recovered the focus of grape growers and viticulturists worldwide. Attention is now being paid to the respect the sap flow continuity and to pruning wounds, as they may affect the general performance and longevity of the plant. The longevity and profitability are strongly affected by the increasing incidence of grapevine wood diseases (GWD), intensified by the omission of good pruning practices and leading to an increasingly aggressive pruning. The purpose of this study is to provide an objective evaluation of the short- and mid-term implications of different pruning practices that differ in the degree of observation several of pruning principles.