Impact of non-Saccharomyces in malolactic fermentation of white and red winemaking

Probably one of the most counterintuitive impacts of climate change on vine is the increased frequency of late frost. Champagne, due to its septentrional position is historically and regularly affected by this meteorological hazard. Champagne has therefore developed a strong experience in frost protection with first experiments dating from the end of 19th century. Frost protection can be divided in two parts: passive and active. Passive protection includes all the methods that do not seek to modify the vine’s environment or resistance at the time of frost. The most iconic passive protection in Champagne is the establishment of the individual reserve. This reserve allows to stock a certain quantity of clear wine during a surplus year to compensate a meteorological hazard like frost during the following years. Other common passive methods are the control of planting area (walls, bushes, topography), the choice of grape variety, late pruning, or the impact of grass cover and tillage. Active frost protection is also divided in two parts. Most of the existing techniques tend to modify vine’s environment. Most of the time they provide warmth (candles, heaters, windmills, heating cables…), or stabilise bud’s temperature above a lethal threshold (water sprinkling). The other way to actively fight is to enhance the resistance of buds to frost (elicitors). The Comité Champagne evaluates frost protection methods following three main axes: the efficiency, the profitability, and the environmental impact through a lifecycle assessment. This study will present the results on both passive and active protection following these three axes.

Water is one of the most limiting factors for viticulture in Mediterranean regions. Former researches showed that water shortage hampers both vegetative and reproductive developments. INRA is running programs to breed varieties carrying QTL of tolerance to major fungi, i.e. powdery and downy mildews. Some varieties have been already certified or are close to be certified. However, little is known about the response of these varieties to water deficit, which behavior is critical for their development. This study characterized physiological responses of 4 new varieties to water deficit and described relationship between them.

The demand for dealcoholized wine has been progressively increasing in recent years. Moreover, the attention for such products is probably increasing even more. Due to that increasing demand and market awareness the legal authorities are about changing rules for that products. Also, at OIV level, these products are being intensively discussed for certain time. The production of dealcoholized wine bases on wine as initial product. This wine is then reduced by physical methods to an alcohol content of less than 0.5% vol., or in other words, to less than 4g/l of alcohol. There are various technologies are possible for producing dealcoholized wine (Schmitt and Christmann 2019).

With the Federation of Wine Syndicates of Anjou and the Wine Syndicate of Angevin for direct sale to the Property, the Higher School of Agriculture of Angers was led to carry out, in 1995, a survey of winegrowers in Maine and Loire, with a view to grouping the supply of some of the wines intended for direct sale (Huet, 1995).

Against the background of climate change and the increasing impact of phytopathogenic agents of mycotic origin on the vine favors the appearance and toxicity of mycotoxins in wine.