Influence of a spontaneous cover crop on the vineyard and soil erosion under Mediterranean climate

Aging on lees (AOL) is a powerful technique to protect varietal aroma and color. Simultaneously, helps to soften tannins and increase and improve wine body and structure. AOL is complementary to barrel aging modulating the wood impact and protecting wine from oxidative conditions.

Grapevine interspecific hybrids (PIWIs, from German “pilzwiderstandsfähige Rebsorten” meaning fungus tolerant grapevine cultivars), offer a promising alternative to traditional cultivars in many wine regions due to their tolerance to certain fungal diseases. This makes them a potential solution for sustainable wine production, particularly under organic systems. Despite extensive research on certain agronomic traits and susceptibility to biotic diseases, such as powdery and downy mildews, the response of these cultivars to abiotic stressors, such as drought, remains unclear. Our study aims to investigate the eco-physiological traits of two commercial PIWI cultivars, Muscaris and Souvignier gris, at the leaf level to evaluate their response to drought stress.

Terroir studies are common nowadays but few have used precise pedoclimatic measures in order to evaluate the precocity potential. The objectives of this work were (i) to assess the effect of main terroir parameters (soil, climate and topography) influencing the phenological development of the vine, and (ii) to evaluate a geostatistic approach by using a high number of already existing plots (higher variability) to analyze the terroir parameters’ impact.

The chemical composition of grape berries at harvest is one of the most important factors that should be considered to produce high quality wines. Among the different chemical classes which characterize the grape juice, the polyphenolic compound, such as flavonoids, contribute to the final taste and color of wines. Recently, an innovative non-destructive method, based on chlorophyll fluorescence, was developed to estimate the phenolic maturity of red grape varieties through the evaluation of anthocyanins accumulated in the berry skin. To date, only few data are available about the application of this method on white grape varieties.

Context and purpose of the study – The dormant and growing season temperatures in California USA have been increasing with more clear sky days. A consequence increasing temperatures and clear sky days is water deficit conditions. Viticulturists must determine appropriate balances of canopy management and irrigation budgeting to produce suitable yields without compromising berry chemistry. In response, a study designed to test the interactive effects of leaf removal timing and applied water amounts on Cabernet Sauvignon/110R in Napa Valley, CA.