Improvement of sparkling wines production by a zoning approach in Franciacorta (Lombardy, Italy)

The strategy of single berry phenotyping is a recently rediscovered research tool that has gained great attention. The latest studies have indicated that previous physiological models based on pooling asynchronous populations of berries provided biased or blurred information on berry development key players. The possibility of monitoring and sampling single synchronized berries to study their development sequentially has opened new lines of research aimed at unraveling the genes that regulate grapevine fruit development. This study aimed to decipher the gene pathways responsible for the activation/deactivation of physiological processes involved in the green phase of growth, the onset of ripening, and the second growth phase.

Context and purpose of the study. The vine nursery sector is undergoing a transformation to meet growing environmental and sanitary demands.

The application of remote and proximal sensing in viticulture have been demonstrated as a fast and efficient method to monitor vegetative and physiological parameters of grapevines. The collection of these parameters could be highly valuable to derive information on associated yield and quality traits in the vineyard. However, to leverage the informative potential of the sensing systems, a series of preliminary evaluations should be carried out to standardize working protocols for the specific features of a winegrowing area (e.g., pedoclimate, topography, cultivar, training system). This work aims at evaluating remote and proximal sensing systems for their performance and suitability to provide information on the vegetative, physiological, yield and qualitative aspects of vines and grapes as a function of different training systems in the Valpolicella wine region (Verona, Italy).

Grape phenolic compounds are located in the internal layers of grape skins and seeds. They are synthesized via the phenyl-propanoid biosynthetic pathway which is modulated by both biotic and abiotic factors.

Red Blotch disease caused by Grapevine red blotch-associated virus (GRBaV) is a severe concern to grape growers and winemakers in major grape-growing regions worldwide. One key aspect of all viruses, including Red Blotch, is their intimate association with cell components and anomalous structures following infection. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze symptomatology, vine function, fruit quality and ultrastructure of various tissues and document the relationship of ultrastructural cytopathology with the GRBaV infection in Pinot Noir and Merlot employing various microscopy techniques.