Exploring and unravelling the complex toasted oak wood (Q. sp.) volatilome using GCxGC-TOFMS technique

Vineyards are complex agro-ecosystems with high spatial and temporal variability. An efficient training system may counteract the adverse effects of this variability. Moreover, considering the climate change issues, choosing an efficient training system that enhances water use and protects the vines from radiative thermal stress has become a priority for the farmers. A multidisciplinary approach that assesses the soil-crop-yield-wine relationships of vineyards in a distributed and holistic way could bring added knowledge on the behavior of the different training systems. This ongoing research aimed to implement a multidisciplinary approach to study the behavior of “Aglianico del Vulture” grapevines trained with two different systems: a spurred cordon (SC) and an “Alberello in parete” (AL), grown in a high-quality wine production area of Basilicata region (Italy). The approach merged several methods and scales of soil, ecophysiology, must/wine quality, and spectral data collection to assess the influence of the training system. Homogeneous zones (HZs) in both training systems were defined through a procedure based on geomorphological classification, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) images analysis, and a traditional soil survey supported by geophysical scanning. During the 2021 season, TDR probes monitored soil water content, while grapevine health status was assessed using eco-physiological measurements (LWP, chlorophyll content, PSII photosynthetic efficiency, LAI, and point-based field spectroscopy). These grapevine in-vivo measurements validated the spectral vegetation indexes (NDVI, RENDVI, CVI, and TVI) derived from the UAV multispectral imagery, which monitored the grapevine status in a distributed and non-invasive way. Grape yield, quality of berries, must and wine were measured to assess the effects of the training systems. The first experimental year results showed the variability of the vineyards and revealed relationships among soil parameters, crop characteristics, and vegetation indices of the SC and AL training systems. This multidisciplinary study could bring new insights into the vineyard training system’s effects on grape yield and wine quality.

In California vineyards, irrigation is considered as one of the most important decisions growers will make. Recent research has revealed that decisions of when to begin irrigation and how much water to apply have considerable consequences for final grape quality and hence wine quality. However, it is unclear whether and to what extent the average winegrape grower uses objective data to begin irrigating or to determine the amount of water to apply.

The relationship between grape production and leaf surface is a highly debated aspect in terms of the impact it may have on the composition and quality of grapes, especially in areas that focus their cultivation on high-quality wine. In many occasions, the limitation of the unitary production level in these areas is claimed to be the main factor for achieving high quality levels in the wine, forgetting the importance of the source-sink relationship and other environmental factors and management of the canopy. Taking this consideration into account, this work seeks to know the response of the vine as a whole, and the individual shoot as well, to the application of various alternatives of leaves and clusters removal, carried out in the phase immediately before veraison, in cv. Verdejo, in Spain.

The conceptual image of a wine related to the terroir has consequences in technical terms. Among factors affecting the typicality, producers put forward the environmental factors of the terroir system

Climate changes are impacting viticultural regions throughout the world with temperature increases being most prevalent.1 These changes will not only impact the regions capable of growing grapes, but also
the grapes that can be grown.2 As temperatures rise the growing degree days increase and with it the sugar accumulation within the berries and subsequent alcohol levels in wine. Consequently, viticultural
practices need to be examined to decrease the levels of sugars.