Consumo hídrico de la vid, c.v. Listán negro, en la comarca de Tacoronte-Acentejo. Tenerife

Quantity and quality of flavonoïds in grape berries are important parts of their global quality. Several studies had shown that tannins are responsible for some major flavour properties of red wines such as colour, bitterness and astringency. Nevertheless, their synthesis and properties are still misunderstood. Some studies had suggested that the tannic pool was set before veraison. Thus, the comprehension of the relations between environment and setting of this tannic pool, up to the harvest, is not sufficient.

The recent development of regulatory genomics has raised increasing interest in plant research since transcriptional regulation of genes plays a pivotal role in many biological processes. By shedding light on the target genes of the various transcription factors (TFs), it is therefore possible to infer the influence they exert on the different molecular mechanisms. In this regard, the attention was focused on WRKYs, a family of TFs almost exclusively found in plant species. In grapevine, WRKYs are involved in several biological processes, playing a key role in berry development, hormonal balance and signalling, biotic and abiotic stresses responses, and secondary metabolites biosynthesis.

For sustainable viticulture, the substitution of chemical inputs with biocontrol products has become one of the most considered strategies. This strategy is based on elicitor-triggered immunity that requires a deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in plant defense activation. Plant immune responses are triggered through the perception of conserved microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) which are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) at the plasma membrane.

The own-rooted vineyard of Santorini is a unique case of vineyard worldwide that is been cultivated for thousands of years. On the island’s volcanic soil, the vines are still cultivated with traditional techniques, which are adapted to the specific and extreme weather conditions that prevail on it. While climate change is a reality in the Mediterranean region, will Santorini vineyard endure its impact? The study of the traditional training systems, techniques and vine density, as well as the application of sustainable solutions (cover crops and use of kaolin etc.) revealed sustainable methods for the adaptation of the local viticulture to new climatic phenomena that tend to be more and more frequent in the region due to climate change.

Vineyard mechanization will be addressed in this review paper primarily as related to pruning and harvesting since these operations typically require a great deal of the total yearly labour demand (Intrieri and Poni, 1998). However, to be able to define how mechanization interacts with “terroir”, a rigorous definition of the latter term is needed.