Advances in the chemistry of rosé winemaking and ageing

The composition of wine is largely determined by the composition of pre-fermentation juice, which is influenced by extraction of grape components. Different grape harvesting and processing conditions could affect the extraction of grape components into juice. Among these grape components, pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are of great concern for white wine maker as they are the main cause of haze formation in finished white wine. If not removed before bottling, these PR proteins may progress into haze through the formation of complex with phenolics under certain conditions. Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) and chitinases are the main constituents of PR proteins found in protein haze.

Aerial architecture plays a key role in plant functioning as it affects light interception and microclimate. In grapevine, this architecture is primarily shaped by winter pruning and further adjusted through practices such as leaf thinning and topping during the growth cycle.

País grape has been estimated to arrive to Chile almost 500 years ago, being the first strain grown in this country. Traditionally, this grape has been used to mix with other varieties, to produce poor quality wines, but today is beginning to be used in the production of high quality wines. However, very little is known about the chemical characteristics of this variety. The aroma is one of the most important quality attributes of wine. Volatile compounds of this beverage may come from the grape (varietal aromas), from the fermentation process, from the ageing. The aromatic compounds are found in the grape in two forms: as free volatile compounds and as non-volatile compounds. The last ones, are aroma precursors present mainly as glycoconjugates formed by a sugar and an aglycone…

Las tendencias actuales del mercado apuntan hacia el consumo de vinos con menor contenido en alcohol, y, por otra parte, de vinos con características especiales y diferenciadoras, siendo los vinos con indicación geográfica o denominación de origen los más demandados.

Root architecture (RSA), the spatial-temporal arrangement of a root system in soil, is essential for edaphic resources acquisition by the plant, and thus contributes largely to its productivity and adaptation to environmental stresses, particularly soil water deficit. In grafted grapevine, while the degree of drought tolerance induced by the rootstock has been well documented in the vineyard, information about the underlying physiological processes, particularly at the root level, is scarce, due to the inherent difficulties in observing large root systems in situ. The aims of this study were (i) to determine the phenotypic differences in traits related to root distribution and morphology along the substrate profile in different Vitis rootstocks during early growth, (ii) to assess the plasticity of these traits to soil water deficit and (iii) to quantify their relationships with plant water uptake.