Determinazione della frazione aromatica dei vini, quale strumento per-la valorizzazione del territorio viticolo

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are responsible for the flavor and aroma of a wine. The sensory qualities of the wines depend not only on grape intrinsic characteristics, but also on extrinsic factors including the soil composition. Previous studies have shown that the application of pyrogenic carbon (biochar) can lead to a change in soil parameters. For that reason, one of the goals of the ERDF funded project «WoodUp» is the characterization and reutilization of the locally produced biochar for agricultural purposes.

This study investigates the effect of wood chips addition during the alcoholic fermentation on the phenolic
composition of the produced wines. A series of wood chips, originating from American, French, Slavonia
oak and Acacia were added at the beginning of wine alcoholic fermentation. Besides, a mixture consisting
of 50% French and 50% Americal oak chips were added during the experimentation. The wine samples
were analyzed one month after the end of malolactic fermentation, examining various chemical
parameters such as total anthocyanins, total phenolic content, tannins combined with protein (BSA) and
ellagitannin content.

Late spring frost is a major challenge for various winegrowing regions across the world, its occurrence often leading to important yield losses and/or plant failure. Despite a significant increase in minimum temperatures worldwide, the spatial and temporal evolution of spring frost risk under a warmer climate remains largely uncertain. Recent projections of spring frost risk for viticulture in Europe throughout the 21st century show that its evolution strongly depends on the model approach used to simulate budburst. Furthermore, the frost damage modelling methods used in these projections are usually not assessed through comparison to field observations and/or frost damage reports.
The present study aims at comparing frost risk projections simulated using six spring frost models based on two approaches: a) models considering a fixed damage threshold after the predicted budburst date (e.g BRIN, Smoothed-Utah, Growing Degree Days, Fenovitis) and b) models considering a dynamic frost sensitivity threshold based on the predicted grapevine winter/spring dehardening process (e.g. Ferguson model). The capability of each model to simulate an actual frost event for the Vitis vinifera cv. Chadonnay B was previously assessed by comparing simulated cold thermal stress to reports of events with frost damage in Chablis, the northernmost winegrowing region of Burgundy. Models exhibited scores of κ > 0.65 when reproducing the frost/non-frost damage years and an accuracy ranging from 0.82 to 0.90.
Spring frost risk projections throughout the 21st century were performed for all winegrowing subregions of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté under two CMIP5 concentration pathways (4.5 and 8.5) using statistically downscaled 8×8 km daily air temperature and humidity of 13 climate models. Contrasting results with region-specific spring frost risk trends were observed. Three out of five models show a decrease in the frequency of frost years across the whole study area while the other two show an increase that is more or less pronounced depending on winegrowing subregion. Our findings indicate that the lack of accuracy in grapevine budburst and dehardening models makes climate projections of spring frost risk highly uncertain for grapevine cultivation regions.

Grapevine interspecific hybrids (PIWIs, from German “pilzwiderstandsfähige Rebsorten” meaning fungus tolerant grapevine cultivars), offer a promising alternative to traditional cultivars in many wine regions due to their tolerance to certain fungal diseases. This makes them a potential solution for sustainable wine production, particularly under organic systems. Despite extensive research on certain agronomic traits and susceptibility to biotic diseases, such as powdery and downy mildews, the response of these cultivars to abiotic stressors, such as drought, remains unclear. Our study aims to investigate the eco-physiological traits of two commercial PIWI cultivars, Muscaris and Souvignier gris, at the leaf level to evaluate their response to drought stress.

Biodynamic agriculture, founded in 1924 by Rudolph Steiner, is a form of organic agriculture. Through a holistic approach, biodynamic agriculture seeks to preserve the diversity of agriculture and the existing interactions between the mineral world and the different components of the organic world. Biodynamic grape production involves the use of composts, herbal teas and mineral preparations such as 500, 501 and CBMT.
Several scientific studies have provided evidence on the effects of biodynamic farming on the soil, the plant and the wine. Numerous empirical opinions of wine growers support the existence of differences brought by such a management.