Advancing grapevine science through genomic research

Practices in viticulture have greatly evolved in the last five decades. There were three objectives: improvement in the quality of the products, reduction in the production costs through mechanization

This paper investigates sustainability in European wineries. The growing body of literature on the subject of sustainability underlines the increasing attention on the environmental and social impacts of intensive and irresponsible wine production.

Global climate change is exerting a notable influence on viticulture sector and grape composition. The increase in temperature and the changes in rainfall pattern are causing a gap between phenolic and technological grape maturities [1]. As a result, the composition of grapes at harvest time and, consequently, that of wines are being affected, especially with regards to phenolic composition. Hence, wine quality is decreasing due to changes in the organoleptic properties, such as color and astringency, making necessary to implement new adaptive technologies in wineries to modulate these properties in order to improve wine quality.

Fermentative maceration in white wine production, involving extended contact with grape skins and seeds, has gained interest in recent years. The impact of this winemaking technique on wine composition and sensory properties remains underexplored.

As an economically important fruit crop, continuous cropping of grapes can potentially impact soil health resulting in decreased yields.