Definition of functional indicators of the vine to characterize wine terroirs

Antagonistic yeasts applied to wine grapes must be compatible with the thereafter winemaking process, avoiding competition with the fermentative Saccharomyces cerevisiae or affecting wine flavour. Therefore, fifteen epiphytic yeasts (6 Metschnikowia sp., 6 Hanseniaspora uvarum, 3 Starmerella bacillaris) previously selected for its biocontrol ability against Alternaria on wine grapes were evaluate for possible competition with S. cerevisiae by the Niche Overlap Index (NOI) employing YNB agar media with 10 mM of 17 different carbonate sources present in wine grapes (proline, asparagine, alanine, glutamic acid, tirosine, arginine, lisine, methionine, glicine, malic acid, tartaric acid, fructose, melibiose, raffinose, rhamnose, sucrose, glucose).

Constitue une appellation d’origine “la dénomination géographique d’un pays, d’une région ou d’une localité servant à désigner un produit qui en est originaire, et dont la qualité ou les caractères sont dus exclusivement ou essentiellement au milieu géographique, comprenant les facteurs naturels et les facteurs humains …”

Context and purpose of the study – In Valpolicella area (Verona – Italy) Vitis vinifera cv. Corvina is the main wine variety to obtain, after grape withering, Amarone wine: this study was carried out in order to compare two different grape dehydration conditions with the aim of verifying the final composition of Corvina dried grapes and the organoleptic profile of corresponding Amarone wine.

One of the reasons of the spread of grapevine virus diseases in
vineyards around the world is the lack of knowledge by the main actors of the wine sector. To face this problem, five partners worked together to develop the PAThOGEN project, a training program aimed to improve grapevine virus knowledge and management. The partnership gathers one French technical center (IFV), one Spanish university (USC), one Italian applied research center (CREA), one Spanish foundation
specialized in training and technology transfer (FEUGA) and one Italian SME specialized in the development of informatics tools and in knowledge transfer (HORTA).The objectives of PAThOGEN are: (i) to develop and
maintain a high-quality work-based Vocational and Education Training program, (ii) to improve the skills of professionals of the wine sector.

Grapevine yield has been historically overlooked, assuming a strong trade-off between grape yield and wine quality. At present, menaced by climate change, many vineyards in Southern France are far from the quality label threshold, becoming grapevine yield-gaps a major subject of concern. Although yield-gaps are well studied in arable crops, we know very little about grapevine yield-gaps. In the present study, we analysed the environmental component of grapevine yield-gaps linked to climate and soil resources in the Languedoc Roussillon. We used SAFRAN data and IGP Pays d’Oc wine yields from 2010 to 2018. We selected climate and soil indicators proving to have a significant effect on average wine yield-gaps at the municipality scale. The most significant factors of grapevine yield were the Soil Available Water Capacity; followed by the Huglin Index and the Climatic Dryness Index. The Days of Frost; the Soil pH; and the Very Hot Days were also significant. Then, we clustered geographical zones presenting similar indicators, facilitating the identification of resources yield-gaps. We discussed the number of zones with the experts of IGP Pays d’Oc label, obtaining 7 zones with similar limitations for grapevine yield. Finally, we analysed the main resources causing yield-gaps and the grapevine varieties planted on each zone. Mapping grapevine resource yield-gaps are the first stage for understanding grapevine yield-gaps at the regional scale.