Effects of different soil types and soil management on greenhouse gas emissions 

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.

The projected rise in mean air temperatures together with the frequency, intensity, and length of heat waves in many wine-growing regions worldwide will deeply impact grape berry development and quality. Several studies have been conducted and a large set of molecular data was produced to better understand the impact of high temperatures on grape berry development and metabolism[1]. According to these data, it is highly likely that the metabolomic dynamics could be strongly modulated by heat stress (HS).

Croatian viticulture is mainly based on native grapevine varieties susceptible to various diseases and pests, which leads to unsustainable use of large amounts of pesticides. The sustainable development of viticulture in the future will only be possible by increasing the resistance of the grapevine through the development of new resistant varieties. Breeding programs have been launched in the leading wine-growing countries to develop resistant varieties possessing high-quality levels. Native cultivars from Croatia are not included in the breeding programs of other countries.

The presence of acetic acid bacteria in wine can lead to the appearance of acetic acid at concentrations above the perception threshold, causing the wine rejection by the consumer. During the winemaking process, avoiding the presence of acetic acid bacteria is very difficult, as there is always a residual population accompanying the wine[1], and the problem arises with the significant development of these microorganisms that metabolizes large amounts of acetic acid.
The concern of wineries to control the presence of acetic acid bacteria in wines during their conservation is due to the absence of simple and effective analyses that allow the detection of these microorganisms in the initial stages.

Ultra-High Pressure Homogenization (UHPH) is an innovative, efficient and non-thermal technology that can be applied at different stages in winemaking in order to reduce or avoid the use of sulphites. During 2022 vintage, a batch of Xarel·lo must was processed by UHPH at 300 MPa with an inlet temperature (Ti) of 4 ºC. In order to verify the influence of the UHPH treatment in wine characteristics, alcoholic fermentations with this must (UHPH) were carried out and compared with a control batch (without SO2 addition (C)) and a sulphited batch, in which 60 mg/L of total SO2 (SO2) were added.