Amphora Wines: To Pitch Or Not To Pitch

Since 1998, the GiESCO (previously named GESCO: Groupe d’Etude des Systèmes de COnduite de la vigne) has provided the scientific community with relevant contributions to the study of terroirs. Here is a synthesis of the main terroir-related fields and the major ideas the GiESCO has developed: Basic Terroir Unit and climate, Vine Ecophysiology and microclimate – moderate drought, Vineyard heterogeneity and new technologies, Viticultural Terroir Unit and canopy management, Terroir – Territory and man.

Climate change has a strong impact on the earlier onset of important phenological stages and plant development in viticulture.

Nutrient availability – nitrogen, lipids, vitamins or oxygen – has a major impact on the kinetics of winemaking fermentations. Nitrogen is usually the growth-limiting nutrient and its availability determines the fermentation rate, and therefore the fermentation duration. In some cases, in particular in Champagne, grape musts have high nitrogen concentrations and are sometimes clarified with turbidity below 50 NTU. In these conditions, lipid deficiencies may occur and longer fermentations can be observed. To better understand this situation, a study was realized using a synthetic medium simulating the composition of a Champagne must : 180 g/L of sugar, 360 mg/L of assimilable nitrogen and a lipid content ranging from 1 to 8 mg/L of phytosterols (mainly β-sitosterol).

Koshu is one of the indigenous grape variety that has been grown in Japan for more than one thousand years. Recent research showed that it has 70% of Vitis vinifera genes. In 2010, the Koshu variety was included in ‘International List of Vine and Varieties and their Synonyms’ managed by the ‘International Organisation of Vine and Wine’ and has further fueled its popularity in Japan. It is the most cultivated variety for winemaking in Japan.
Koshu berries have light purple skins. The variety is mainly used to produce white wines such as an aromatic wine and a wine produced by sur lie method although various styles are produced.

One of the main sensory characteristics of red wine is astringency, which can be defined as drying, puckering and roughing of the oral cavity after the exposure to tannin-rich wines. Tannins are the main responsible for the intensity of the sensation as well for the qualitative aspects of astringency. However, the total intensity of the sensation is not sufficient to fully characterize red wine astringency. Thirty-three different subqualities (Gawel et al. 2001) had been generated to describe the complexity of this multi perceptual phenomenon, which includes both tastes, tactile, and flavor sensations. So, how to feel tannins during tasting? In this study, we used a sensory method that combine the training for astringency subqualities with touch-standards and the CATA questions, usually applied in consumer science, to evaluate the astringency subqualities of different typologies of Sangiovese: commercial and experimental wines. Sangiovese wine represents a good model for the study of astringency because it is generally characterized by a high content of low and high molecular weight proantocyanidins. Commercial wines differed for percentage of Sangiovese (80-100 %) grapes used in winemaking and for designation (Toscana TS, Chianti Classico CH, Chianti Riserva CR, Morellino di Scansano MS). The astringency profile of wines changed as the percentage of Sangiovese increased. Positive subqualities as velvet, soft, mouthcoat, and rich highly characterized the Sangiovese wine belonging to TS and CR designations. Moreover, the astringency subqualities related to blending or wood aging, represented the drivers of quality of commercial Sangiovese wines.