Estudio de la adaptación y del comportamiento productivo y enológico de variedades blancas foráneas en la zona vitícola del Penedés

In a recent context where consumers pay an increasing attention to sustainability and eco-friendly aspects in the decision-making process, the use of the resistant varieties in the wine sector have returned to the attention. In this context, the use of mould-resistant grape varieties would be an opportunity for sparkling wine producers as it can reduced the pesticide utilization in grape management and hence production costs.
However, the use of the resistant varieties to produce the base wine may be strongly influenced due to its requirements for a particular balance between sugars and acidity to ensure the quality of the final product. In addition, the aromatic profile of base wine plays a crucial role in the perception of the quality of the sparkling wine.

Grape breeding for resistance to fungal diseases is today very dynamic throughout the world notably in France. New varieties are obtained by hybridization between susceptible varieties of the vitis vinifera species and resistant genotypes, with breeding programs generally lasting between 15 and 25 years and resulting in the registration of a few new varieties. Though these varieties can provide several benefits and can be planted by winegrowers, they are not always systematically adopted.

Remote sensing, using Near Infra Red wavelength, can characterize within-vineyard variability using vegetation index. Between 2007 and 2009, a study was led on the vineyards of a cooperative winery, in Fitou area (France) aiming at characterizing vineyard oenological potential. A vegetation index, green leaf cover, developed on crops (wheat, rice, corn…) was implemented on vineyards.

Since the mid-1980s, several surveys have been carried out in La Rioja to search for populations of the sylvestris grapevine subspecies (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris Gmelin). The banks of the Ebro River and its tributaries (Alhama, Cidacos, Leza, Iregua, Najerilla, Oja and Tirón rivers), as well as the surrounding vegetation of their valleys have been covered. So far, all the populations found are alluvial, forming part of the riparian vegetation of the Najerilla (the first reported population in La Rioja [1]), Iregua, and the vicinity of Oja valleys.

Soil mulching is an interesting strategy to reduce soil evaporation, assist in weed control, improve soil structure and organic content, increase soil water infiltration, and decrease diurnal temperature fluctuations