Advancing grapevine science through genomic research

Hydrogels are soil-conditioning materials capable of absorbing substantial amounts of water relative to their weight.

The reflections presented here are a synthesis of a set of research on the construction of a scientific logic concerning the relations between the terroir, the vine, the wine, and on the study of a product, the wine, considered as the resulting from many interactions between factors of various orders. This work has benefited greatly from discussions of an epistemological as well as a technical nature with all the researchers at URVV (Angers) and with our colleagues at the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine, over several years.

Le marché international du vin est désormais tourné vers la qualité et les vignobles de vin de masse se transforment pour construire la qualité et la réputation de leurs produits. Cette construction s’appuie notamment sur la valorisation de ressources territoriales de nature physique (terroir, pacage, écosystème) et humaine (savoir-faire, culture, patrimoine…). Les « Routes des Vins » sont des exemples concrets de ces processus de «territorialisation», combinant ces ressources territoriales pour communiquer sur l’ancrage géographique et la spécificité des vins. Les «Routes des Vins» émergentes, observées dans les régions vitivinicoles en transition vers la qualité, en Languedoc Roussillon, à Mendoza (Argentine) et au Western Cape (Afrique du Sud), participent souvent à la valorisation des terroirs, en organisant un itinéraire sur le territoire associé, en faisant découvrir les vins «de qualité», les paysages, les pratiques et le savoir-faire associés à leur élaboration.

Stilbenes are natural bioactive polyphenols produced by grapevine. Recently, we have reviewed the na- tural presence of these compounds in wines [1]. This study showed that the resveratrol and its glycoside, the piceid, are the most abundant stilbenes in wines. Resveratrol is a well-known stilbene with a wide range of biological activities. Due to its specific structure, resveratrol can be oxidized in wines to form various derivatives including oligomers [2]. In this study, we investigate the resveratrol and piceid transformation in wines.

Climate change projections point to an increase of temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns in the mediterranean region.