Identification of a stable epi-allele associated with flower development and low bunch compactness in a somatic variant of Tempranillo Tinto

One of the main aspects of Climate Change is the increase of temperatures during summer and grape maturity period. Physiological processes are influenced by these high temperatures and result in grapes with higher sugar concentration, less acidity and less anthocyanin content among other quality changes. One strategy to deal with the climate change effects is the implementation of late winter pruning to alter the effect of high temperatures during key periods by delays in maturity time.

Wine perception is a multisensory experience that makes use of the sight, smell, and taste senses. When wine is sensorially assessed, the stimulus received generates multiple signals that tasters convert into organoleptic descriptors. Colour is commonly the first attribute evaluated during wine tasting. Moreover, the colour properties provide the taster with a priori information of the wine’s aroma. This preconceived perception is later confirmed or denied during the aroma evaluation.

The plant rhizosphere microbial communities are an essential component of plant microbiota, which is crucial for sustaining the production of healthy crops. The main drivers of the composition of such communities are the growing environment and the planted genotype. Recent viticulture studies focus on understanding the effects of these factors on soil microbial composition since microbial biodiversity is an important determinant of plant phenotype, and of wine’s organoleptic properties. Microbial biodiversity of different wine regions, for instance, is an important determinant of wine terroir.

The agri-food industry is constantly searching for ingredients of high functional value, healthy and of natural origin. One species of particular interest is Vitis vinifera, due to its recognized antioxidant potential. Among the grape varieties, one group possesses these antioxidant compounds not only in the skin, but also in its pulp: Teinturier. The red grape has traditionally been used for color correction purposes in winemaking, however, its high antioxidant content transforms it into a raw material of high potential for new formulations of ingredients and foods for the health and wellness market.

Given that climate change is a continuous process, it is necessary to constantly search for new strategies that help the viticulturist sector to mitigate its consequences. All adaptation strategies will have a greater or lesser effect that in turn will be marked by the times of action. As a long-term action, a genetic breeding program to obtain new varieties descendant from Monastrell has been developed in the Region of Murcia (more specifically, in the IMIDA Research Center) since 1997. In this program, new red varieties have been developed through directed crosses of the Monastrell variety with other varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Syrah.