TCA – A status report on South African cork closures

AIM: Organic production of wine in the past years has known an important augmentation. This type of cultivation practice switches synthetic phytosanitary product for copper-based protection as fungicide.

Soil is a reservoir of microorganisms playing important roles in biogeochemical cycles and interacting with plants whether in the rhizosphere or in the root endosphere. Through rhizodeposition, plants regulate their associated microbiome composition depending on the environment and plant factors, including genotypes. Since the phylloxera crisis, Vitis vinifera cultivars are mainly grafted onto American Vitis hybrids. Rootstocks play a pivotal role in the grapevine development, as the interface between the scion and the soil.

Terroir method has been used for assessment of growing site in the world for years. In Slovakia actually regionalisation is used as the similar method which does not cover all the elements of wine quality evaluation however.

The wine aroma is constituted by hundred of volatile chemical compounds that depend on many viticultural and oenological factors.

Air temperature is arguably one of the most decisive factors for winegrape varieties developmental cycle, ripening potential and yield.