Although there are detailed studies on the microbiota of Vitis vinifera L. grapes, little is known about the diversity of yeast communities present in non-vinifera Vitis ecosystems (i.e., grapes and spontaneously fermenting grape musts). Potentially scientific and/or enological valuable yeast strains from these non-vinifera Vitis ecosystems might never be isolated from V. vinifera L. Using a standard culture-dependent strategy, we studied the population of yeast species during initial stages of spontaneous fermentation of V. labrusca L. (Isabella) grape musts. Rare non-Saccharomyces yeast species were recognized in Isabella, including Candida azymoides, Pichia cecembensis, Candida californica, Candida bentonensis, Issatchenkia hanoiensis and Candida apicola.

Climate change scenarios suggest an increase in temperatures and an intensification of summer drought. Measuring seasonal plant water status is an essential step in choosing appropriate adaptations to ensure yields and quality of agricultural produce. The water status of grapevines is known to be a key factor for yield, maturity of grapes and wine quality. Several techniques exist to measure the water status of soil and plants, but stem water potential proved to be a simple and precise tool for different plant species.

The last step in winemaking is packaging the wines for market placement, while preserving the quality attained during vinification. Since the 1980s, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) has been recognised as an incidental and random contaminant of cork, with its migration into wine thought to contribute to ‘cork taint’. This molecule is not a cork component and little is known about how it is formed on trees. Its formation from the chlorine used to wash the cork stoppers, long suspected, has been excluded by the abandonment of chlorine washing.

This study used climatic and topographic data to characterize the sub-appellations that have been recently delineated in the Niagara Peninsula viticulture area in order to assess their potential for ripening early to late season Vitis vinifera varieties. No major differences were found in the ripening-period mean temperatures, but major differences in the diurnal temperature ranges were observed.

Franconia which is a “cool climate” winegrowing region is well known for its fruity white wines. The most common grape cultivars are Silvaner and Mueller-Thurgau.