The colour pattern of flower arrangements influence wine tasters’ sensory description

Brandy is a spirit drink made from “wine spirit” (<86% Alcohol by Volume – ABV; high levels of congeners and they are mainly less volatile than ethanol), it may be blended with a “wine distillate” (<94.8%ABV; low levels of congeners and these are mainly more volatile than ethanol), as long as that distillate does not exceed a maximum of 50% of the alcoholic content of the finished product[1]. Brandy must be aged for at least 6 months in oak casks with <1000L of capacity. During ageing, changes occur in colour, flavour, and aroma that improve the quality of the original distillate.

Grape skin has a barrier and protective function in grapes. Cell wall of grape skins is mainly composed of polysaccharides such as pectins, celulloses and hemicelluloses and structural proteins. Terroir, variety and changes during ripening can affect the content of polysaccharides in grapes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of polysaccharides (PS) in grapes along the ripening process. Three red grape varieties were studied: Garnacha (G), Tempranillo (T) and Prieto Picudo (PP).

Terroir encompasses environmental (climate, geology, soil and topography), genetic (cultivar and clone) and human factors (oenological and viticultural practices). Climate change brings about shifts in the suitability of a region for the growth of specific grapevine cultivars. This study focused on climatic and fruit parameters (berry size, weight, pH, total acidity (TA) and phenolics) to characterise the terroir effect in Vitis vinifera L. cultivars Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in the Cape South Coast region (Walker Bay and Elgin).

The Mediterranean basin is one of the most vulnerable regions to Climate Change effects. According to unanimous forecasts, the vineyards of Castilla-La Mancha will be among the most adversely affected by rising temperatures and water scarcity during the vine’s vegetative period. One potential strategy to mitigate the negative impacts of these changes involves the identification of grapevine varieties with superior water use efficiency, while ensuring satisfactory yields and grape quality.

Antagonistic yeasts applied to wine grapes must be compatible with the thereafter winemaking process, avoiding competition with the fermentative Saccharomyces cerevisiae or affecting wine flavour. Therefore, fifteen epiphytic yeasts (6 Metschnikowia sp., 6 Hanseniaspora uvarum, 3 Starmerella bacillaris) previously selected for its biocontrol ability against Alternaria on wine grapes were evaluate for possible competition with S. cerevisiae by the Niche Overlap Index (NOI) employing YNB agar media with 10 mM of 17 different carbonate sources present in wine grapes (proline, asparagine, alanine, glutamic acid, tirosine, arginine, lisine, methionine, glicine, malic acid, tartaric acid, fructose, melibiose, raffinose, rhamnose, sucrose, glucose).