Evaluation of terroir suitability for vine cultivation in new areas using geographic multi-criteria decision support

In winemaking grapes, it is known that most aroma compounds are present as non-volatile precursors, such as glycosidic precursors. In fact, there is strong evidence supporting the connection between the content of aroma precursors and the aromatic quality of wine [1]. Acid hydrolysis is preferred to reveal the aroma potential of winemaking grapes, as it predicts more accurately the chemical rearrangements occurring during fermentation in acidic environments [2]. In this study, a method involving a fast fermentation followed by acid hydrolysis at 75ºC was used to evaluate the accumulation of aroma compounds over time in fractions obtained from six different varieties of winemaking grapes.

This study presents the preliminary results obtained in 2022, of the evaluation of three new crossbreed winegrape genotypes and their parental varieties, grown under controlled irrigation (60% ETc) and rainfed conditions in a wine-growing area with scarcity of water and high temperatures (Murcia, southeast Spain). The genotypes MC16 and MC80 were obtained from crosses between the varieties ‘Monastrell’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’, and MS104 from crosses between ‘Monastrell’ and ‘Syrah’ [1]. The objective of this study was to analyse the physiological response and vegetative development of the 6 genotypes under the two irrigation conditions, and to study their effect on the content of soluble sugars and chlorophyll in the leaf.

Climate change is resulting in more dry and hot summers, accelerating grape ripening and increasing berry sugars concentration. This results in wines with a higher alcohol content, which has a negative impact on wine quality, as well as, on consumer health. Agronomic practices that minimize these effects on berry composition and, consequently, on wine quality must be defined. In this work, different management practices have been assessed on rainfed ‘Monastrell’ grapevines in Jumilla (Murcia, Spain) from 2021 to 2023 vintages. Mulching, shading, application of kaolin and different types of pruning were evaluated, among others field adaptation practices.

Grapevine rootstocks provide protection against environmental biotic and abiotic stresses. Nitrogen (N) and iron (Fe) are growth-limiting factors in many crop plants due to their effects on the chlorophyll and photosynthetic characteristics. Iron nutrition of plants can be significantly affected by different nitrogen forms through altering the uptake ratio of cations and anions, and changing rhizosphere pH. The aim of this study was to investigate the response mechanisms of grapevine rootstocks due to the interaction between different nitrogen forms and iron uptake.

Melatonin is a bioactive compound with antioxidant properties, that has been found in many fermented beverages, such as beer and wine [1]. Indeed, it has been shown that yeast can synthesize melatonin during alcoholic fermentation, although its role inside the cell, as well as the metabolic pathway involved in its synthesis, is still unclear [1]. Recent studies showed that during fermentation, melatonin interacts with different proteins of the glycolytic pathway in both Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeast, for instance glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase or enolase [2].