The Australian geographical indication process

Grapevine cultivation is threatened by the global warming, which combines high temperatures and reduced rainfall, impacting in wine quality and even plant survival. Breeding for varieties resilient to these challenges must address plant traits such as tolerance to supraoptimal temperatures and optimized water use efficiency while minimizing productivity and quality losses. Stomatal abundance (SA) determines the maximum leaf potential for transpiration and thus water loss and cooling. Since SA results from a developmental process during leaf emergence and growth, knowledge on the genetic control of this process would provide specific targets for modification.

In previous experiments carried out in Bologna on Sangiovese grapevines raised with the Australian “Minimal Pruning” system, it has been shown that this system left an excessive burden of buds on the vine.

The arrangements of flowers and wine counterparts are inextricably linked. Whether a fundamental aspect of tablescaping or acolytes to broader entertainment rituals, they have an entangled history since ancient times. The aim of this contribution is to verify the influence of visually delicate and robust flower arrangements on individual description of wines. Changes in the sensory description of wines were investigated during subjects’ (thirty-two participants) exposure to three different conditions: the presence of delicate, robust, or totally absent flower arrangements. In each condition, the same two wines were blind tasted: a wine previously defined as delicate – a Pinot Noir from Australia, and a wine known for its robust character – a Tannat from Uruguay.

Plants have been shown to redistribute water between root sections and soil layers along a gradient of decreasing water availability. One benefit of this hydraulic redistribution is that water can be transported from roots in wet soil to others in dry soil, delaying the onset of water stress and increasing root longevity in dry environments. Grapevines are thought to redistribute water laterally across the trunk from wet to dry portions of the root system. However, it is unknown whether the phloem contributes to such water redistribution.

One of the main effects of global warming is an increase in the sugar concentration of grapes at harvest time, resulting in wines with a high alcohol content and an unbalanced structure. The fruit to leaf ratio is a key factor in determining the final sugar concentration, and training systems and management techniques can help to control this parameter.