Le pays du Brulhois

A two-bite compression test was applied on Cabernet franc grapes during two harvest seasons. The evolution of the texture parameters from véraison to harvest was studied and a new mechanical ripeness notion was introduced.

AIM: Glutathione (GSH) is a non-protein thiol naturally present in grape berries and produced by yeasts during fermentation. It has a strong antioxidant activity, thus can be added during winemaking to limit the oxidative phenomena of wine, preserving sensory characteristics and stability, ultimately promoting a healthier product by reducing the need for SO2 addition.

Intensification is considered one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss in farmland. The more intensive management practices that have been adopted the last decades, contributed to species declines from all taxonomic groups. Moreover, agricultural intensification has led to an important change of land use. Complex, mixed agro-ecosystems with cultivated and non-cultivated habitats have been converted to simplified, intensive and homogeneous ones with severe effects on biodiversity.

Climate change and its consequences are becoming an increasing challenge for viticulture. The breeding of new grapevine varieties that are better adapted to the changing conditions offers a possible solution.

The ecological conditions (climatic factors and soil) during the whole year, and especially before flowering and during the time of flowering, have a great influence on the functional ability of pollen, the pollination, the fecundation and the yielding potential of the cultivars of grapevine.