Des enjeux individuels à l’action collective

Vineyards from mild temperature, high humidity locations receive often treatments with fungicides to prevent damages produced by fungi responsible for mildium, oidium and botrytis infections. In addition, insecticides are also applied to vineyards to fight again pests, which affect directly, or indirectly (as vectors of different diseases), their productivity. A fraction of the above compounds reaches the soil of vineyards, either during application, or when released from the canopy of vines due to rain-wash-off. Thereafter, depending on soil conditions (pH, organic matter) and environmental variables (regimen of rain, slope of vineyards), they might persist in this compartment, be degraded and/or transferred to water masses, modifying the biodiversity of soils and/or affecting the quality of water reservoirs.

The chemical profile and sensory attributes were studied in Borrigiano IGT Toscana wine (Italy), a blend of Sangiovese 85% and Cabernet Sauvignon 15% grapes harvested in September 2020, where 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanol (hydroxytyrosol, HT, [1]) was added to a 750-ml wine bottle in 3 different amounts (30, 60, 120 mg) and compared with the control (no HT addition). The study aimed to evaluate whether Polyphenol-HT1®, a high purity HT (>99%) produced by Nova Mentis using biotechnology, could be used as a supplement to sulfites and how it would impact the sensory and chemical profile of this wine [2]. Each sample was prepared in triplicate.

The increase in air temperature that is occurring in many important wine-growing areas around the world is resulting in the decoupling between the phenolic and the technological maturity of grapevine berries. This new ripening pattern leads to the production of light-bodied high alcoholic wines, but this is in countertendency with the increasing consumers’ demand for wines with low-to-mid alcohol concentrations. The oenological techniques proposed to reduce wine alcohol content are often very expensive and lead to detrimental effects on wine quality. Many viticultural practices have been proposed to slow down sugar accumulation the berry. One possible strategy that was previously found to be suitable for Aglianico grapevine is post-veraison shoot trimming. The aim of this work was to assess the carry over effects on the following year of shoot trimming and vine water status on yield and total soluble solids because the expected reduction in vine fertility could lead to a reduction in the effectiveness of shoot trimming.

Laccases from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are described as multicopper oxidase enzymes with copper union sites. Among their applications, phenolic compounds’ oxidation and biogenic amines’ degradation, have been described. Besides, the role of LAB in the toxicity reduction of ochratoxin A (OTA) has been reported (Fuchs et al., 2008; Luz et al., 2018). Fungal laccases, but not bacterial laccases, have been screened for OTA and mycotoxins’ degradation (Loi et al., 2018). OTA is a mycotoxin produced by some fungal species, such as Penicillium and Aspergillus sp., which infect grape bunches used for winemaking.

The enzymatic browning of grape must is still a major problem in oenology today [1] being particularly serious when the grapes have been infected by grey rot [2]. Browning is an oxidation process that causes certain foods to turn brown, which often leads to them being rejected by consumers [3]. This is a particular problem in the case of wine, because grape must is very vulnerable to enzymatic browning [4].