The frequency of water deficits is increasing in many grape-growing regions due to climate change.

Barrel ageing is a transformative process that alters a wine’s organoleptic properties and consequently its price. Even though it is considered beneficial mostly for red wines, ageing can also be used for white wines but for shorter time periods. Due to barrel costs, space requirements and the markets’ demands for fast release of each new vintage, new products such as oak chips or shavings have been developed to help minimize the time needed for the extraction of essential wood compounds.

Several studies demonstrated how climate and soil may be key drivers of variability at different scales.

Quantity and quality of flavonoïds in grape berries are important parts of their global quality. Several studies had shown that tannins are responsible for some major flavour properties of red wines such as colour, bitterness and astringency. Nevertheless, their synthesis and properties are still misunderstood. Some studies had suggested that the tannic pool was set before veraison. Thus, the comprehension of the relations between environment and setting of this tannic pool, up to the harvest, is not sufficient.

Sfursat di Valtellina is a DOCG reinforced wine produced in Valtellina from partially withered red grapes of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Nebbiolo. The grape ripeness degree and the dehydration process strongly influence the physicochemical characteristics of grapes [1, 2, 3]. In particular, grape skin and seeds contain several classes of phenolic compounds strictly associated with red wine quality, which are significantly affected by these factors [4]. The aim of this research is to assess the combined influence of different ripeness levels and withering rates on the standard chemical composition and phenolic profile of winegrape in order to provide new insights and approaches to the management of withering, searching for the valorization of grape potentialities.