Reduction of the height of the canopy in fruit set and in pea size: vegetative, productive and maturation effects, in cv. Verdejo

Over the last years, due to climate change, several red wines, such as the Sangiovese wines, have been often subjected to loss of clarity due to the formation of deposits of fine needle-shaped crystals. This phenomenon turned out to be due to an excess of quercetin (Q) and its glycosides (Q-Gs) in wines. These compounds are synthesized to a large extent when grapes are excessively exposed to UVB radiations in vineyards[1]. Unfortunately, it is not easy to predict the degree of Q precipitation because its solubility strongly depends on the wine and matrix composition[2].

In temperate climates, such as in the North of Spain, the use of irrigation in the vineyard has not been required, due to the usual rainfall from June to August. In some large vineyards, irrigation management has been carried out, based on occasional support irrigation, or for the application of nutrients (fertigation). Currently it is necessary to implement decision support models to manage irrigation water in real time and avoid misuse of a scarce resource. Moreover, quality standards must be achieved, as in the previous rainfed viticulture.

Atypical aging (ATA) is a white wine fault characterized by the appearance of notes of wet rag, acacia blossoms and naphthalene, along with the vanishing of varietal aromas. 2-aminoacetophenone (AAP) – a degradation compound of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) – is regarded as the main sensorial and chemical marker responsible for this defect. About the origin of ATA, a stress reaction occurring in the vineyard has been looked as the leading cause of this defect. Agronomic, climatic and pedological factors are the main triggers and among them, drought stress seems to play a crucial role.[1]

Pomace is one of the main residues generated by the wine industry and represents an environmental problem. Currently, there is a growing interest in the revaluation of these products because different bioactive compounds can be obtained from them, such as polyphenols, grape seed oils and polysaccharides. Red grape pomace can be an important source of polysaccharides, but they are currently little studied and even less with viable and environmental extraction processes (green extraction), such as flash extraction. The residual amount of the fraction rich in pectin (residual pulp) and component rich in hemicellulose in the pomace and the strength of association of the pectin with the cellulose-xyloglucan network depend on the degree of extractability of the polysaccharides in red winemaking and on the winemaking conditions.

Based on historical vine cultivation, the recent development of wine production in Drama wine region (Greece) has led to vine cultivation expansion of white and red varieties. The current cultivation of 500 ha of vineyards is expected to increase in the coming years. Natural terroir units (NTU) have been designed recently to support the production of high quality wines in the region [1]. The aim of this work is to evaluate the relevancy of the proposed NTUs regarding their suitability to produce wines of specific sensorial identity, and to provide guidelines for correct site selection for the expanding wine industry of the region.