Observatoire Grenache en Vallée du Rhône: incidence du terroir sur certains précurseurs d’arômes et substances volatiles

To obtain a quality wine, it is necessary to collect grapes in an optimal state of maturation, so the control of the ripening process is fundamental for the viticulturist.

Global climate change is exerting a notable influence on viticulture sector and grape composition. The increase in temperature and the changes in rainfall pattern are causing a gap between phenolic and technological grape maturities [1]. As a result, the composition of grapes at harvest time and, consequently, that of wines are being affected, especially with regards to phenolic composition. Hence, wine quality is decreasing due to changes in the organoleptic properties, such as color and astringency, making necessary to implement new adaptive technologies in wineries to modulate these properties in order to improve wine quality.

The Grenache observatory was created in 1995. The object of this 24 parcels network, covering main Rhone Valley soils, is to state the effect of pedo-climatic conditions on plant physiology and wine characteristics. The results concerning colour and tanins show a very important diversity in Grenache behaviour.

Context and purpose of the study. The genetic improvement of grapevines at the Edmund Mach Foundation (FEM) has evolved significantly since its inception, and its philosophy on sustainable viticulture through crossbreeding techniques aligns with the urgent need to reduce chemical use in agriculture.

Sulfonated monomeric and dimeric flavan-3-ols are recently discovered in wine and proved to have great importance in understanding wine chemistry and quality [1, 2].