Extreme canopy management for vineyard adaptation to climate change: is it a good idea?

Dating back to the early domestication period of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), expansion of human activity led to the creation of thousands of modern day genotypes that serve multiple purposes such as table and wine consumption. They also encompass a strong phenotypic diversity. Presently, viticulture faces various challenges, which include threatening climatic change scenarios and an historical track record of genetic erosion. Paritularly with regards to wine varieties, there is a pressing need to characterize the extant genetic diversity of modern varieties, as a means to delvier knowledge-based solutions under a rapidly evolving scenario, that may enable improved yields and profiles, resistance to pathogens, and increased resilience to climate change.

The study analyzes a set of open innovation actions promoted by the innovation environments of the Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS), in cooperation with entities, companies in the sector and the Department of Innovation, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul.

The growing demand for non-alcoholic beverages, driven by health-conscious consumers and shifting social norms, has positioned dealcoholized wines as a promising alternative in the global beverage industry (Akhtar et al., 2025, in press; Kakroo, 2024).

As observed in other grape varieties, Red Grenache juice contains low level of volatiles. The main flavor compounds are ” Iock up “as flavorless glycoconjugates which could generate at the wine pH volatile flavorants and constitute the varietal aroma of this cultivar.

The adoption of PIWI (Pilzwiderstandsfähige) grape cultivars, bred for resistance to fungal diseases, is a transformative step towards sustainable winemaking.