Valorization of wine lees for oenological interest by eco-responsible processes

Nowadays, the recovery of secondary resources of wine industry is insufficient and the developing of new products and adjuvants from secondary raw materials could become a relevant sector of research. The re-use of byproducts derived from winemaking could improve the sustainability of wine industry and give additional value to other food industries

Climate change will increase the frequency of water deficit experienced in certain european regions, due to increased evapotranspiration and reduced rainfall during the growing cycle. We therefore need to find ways of adaption, including the use of more drought-tolerant planting material. In addition to the varieties used as grafts and involved in the wine ypicity of our wines, rootstocks selection is a relevant way of adapting to more restrictive environmental conditions.

Cover crops are increasingly considered in Mediterranean climate vineyards due to a combination of agronomic and regulatory considerations. However, the soil under the vines themselves is typically kept free of vegetation by mechanical plowing or herbicide spraying. Taking into account that these practices may convey a number of non-favourable economic and environmental implications, and the fact that drip irrigation can ease the use of cover crops under the vines, the aim of this work was to evaluate the agronomic implications and the changes in soil physical and biological properties caused by an under-vine cover crop in a Mediterranean area.

Currently, climate change represents one of the major issues for the wine sector. The increasing temperature already recorded and expected in the upcoming years reduce the vegetative cycle of the grape varieties planted in Bordeaux area, affecting the physicochemical parameters of grapes and consequently, the quality of wine. From a sensory point of view, the attenuation of the fresh fruity character in some varietals is accompanied by the accentuation of dried-fruit notes [1]. As a new adaptive and ecological strategy on global warming, some winegrowers have initiated changes in the Bordeaux blend of vine varieties using late-ripening grape varieties [2]. 

The nutrient reserves in the grapevine perennial structure perform a critical role in supplying the grapevine with nutrients