terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Grouping Vitis vinifera grapevine varieties based on their aromatic composition

Grouping Vitis vinifera grapevine varieties based on their aromatic composition

Abstract

Context and purpose of the study

Climate change is likely to impact wine typicity across the globe, raising concerns in wine regions historically renowned for the quality of their terroir1. Amongst several changes in viticultural practices, replacing some of the planting material (i.e. clones, rootstocks and cultivars) is thought to be one of the most promising potential levers to be used for adapting to climate change. But the change of cultivars also involves the issue of protecting the region’s wine typicity. In Bordeaux (France), extensive research has been conducted on identifying meridional varieties that could be good candidates to help guard against the effects of climate change2 while less research has been done concerning their impacts on Bordeaux wine typicity. Thus, the present study aims to characterize the aromatic composition of a large pool of Vitis vinifera cultivars through the analyses of some impacting aromatic compounds. Then, aromatic composition of traditional-Bordeaux varieties and non-Bordeaux varieties are compared.

Materials and Methods

A 2-hectares plot of 84 cultivars was planted in 2013, in the Médoc wine region (France) within the vineyards of a wine estate. Amongst this very large collection of cultivars, a pool of 25 red varieties was isolated, including traditional Bordeaux varieties and potential candidates for introduction in the Bordeaux varietal mix. Each of those varieties has been separately vinified since 2018 in 2hL stainless steel tanks, close to commercial wine production conditions. 46 major aroma compounds were then quanti- fied in each variety for each vintage (from three to five vintages per cultivar) by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Statistical analyses, including hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) was then performed on this unique dataset for aroma profile characterization and to discriminate and isolate varieties according to their aromatic composition.

Results

As expected, analyses resulted in a strong varietal characterization of the different wines with a significant vintage effect on some of the aroma compounds. Of the 46 aroma compounds analyzed, a select few appear to explain a large part of the Bordeaux wines aromatic composition. Clustering of cultivars was possible, and Bordeaux cultivars group well together into a unique cluster. Interestingly, a few non-traditional Bordeaux cultivars were close to some of the classical Bordeaux varieties in both the HCA and PCA analyses. These results enhanced the idea that some non-native cultivars could be introduced in the Bordeaux cultivar mix while maintaining some of the wine typicity. This methodology could help other established wine regions to identify varieties that could be potential candidates for adaptation to climate change.

  1. Van Leeuwen, C.; Darriet, P. The Impact of Climate Change on Viticulture and Wine Quality. J Wine Econ 2016, 11 (1), 150–167. https://doi.org/10.1017/jwe.2015.21.
  2. Destrac-Irvine, A.; Van Leeuwen, K. VitAdapt, an Experimental Program to Study the Behavior of a Wide Range of Grape Varieties of Vitis Vinifera in a Context of Climate Change in the Bordeaux Vineyards, 2018. https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ hal-03179912 (accessed 2023-02-13).

DOI:

Publication date: February 9, 2024

Issue: OENO Macrowine 2023

Type: Article

Authors

Marc Plantevin1, Cécile Thibon2,3, Julien Lecourt4, Justine Garbay2,3, Jean-Christophe Barbe2,3, Georgia Lytra2,3, Philippe Darriet2,3, Cornelis Van Leeuwen1

1 EGFV, Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE, ISVV, F-33882 Villenave d’Ornon, France
2 Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux INP, INRAE, OENO, UMR 1366, ISVV, F-33140 Villenave d’Ornon, France
3 Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Bordeaux INP, INRAE, OENO, UMR 1366, ISVV, F-33170 Gradignan, France
4 Pôle Scientifique, Bernard Margez Grands Vignobles, 33000 Bordeaux, France

Contact the author*

Keywords

Aromatic Composition, Aroma Compounds, Climate Change, GC-MS

Tags

IVES Conference Series | oeno macrowine 2023 | oeno-macrowine

Citation

Related articles…

HAZE RISK ASSESSMENT OF MUSCAT MUSTS AND WINES : WHICH LABORATORY TEST ALLOWS A RELIABLE ESTIMATION OF THE HEATWAVE REALITY?

Wines made from Muscat d’Alexandria grapes exhibit a high haze risk. For this reason, they are systematically treated with bentonite, on the must and sometimes also on wine. In most oenological labora-tories and in companies (trade, cooperatives, independent winegrowers), the test that is by far the most widely used, on a worldwide scale, remains the heat test at 80°C for 30 minutes to 2 hours (and some-times up to 6 hours). The tannin test (sometimes coupled with a heat treatment) and the Bentotest are still used. In this study, we show that all these tests give much higher estimates of the haze risk than the risk assessed by a 24-48h treatment at 42°C, which represents a heat wave.

Read More

EFFECT OF WHOLE BUNCH VINIFICATION ON THE ABUNDANCE OF A SWEETENING COMPOUND

In classic red wine-making process, grapes are usually destemmed between harvest and the filling of the vat. However, some winemakers choose to let all or a part of the stems in contact with the juice during vatting, this is called whole bunch vinification. For instance, this practice is traditionally used in some French wine regions, notably in Burgundy, Beaujolais and the Rhone Valley. The choice to keep this part of the grape is likely to affect the sensory properties of wine, as its gustatory perception1,2.

Read More

ADDITION OF OAK WOOD ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS: QUALITATIVE AND SENSORIAL EFFECTS FOR A WHITE WINE OF ALIGOTE

Wines matured in contact with wood are extremely popular with consumers all over the world. Oak wood allows the organoleptic characteristics of wine to be modified. Wines are enriched with volatile and non-volatile compounds extracted from the wood. The aromas extracted from oak wood contribute to the construction of the wine’s aromatic profile and the main polyphenols extracted can modify taste perceptions such as astringency and bitterness. All the compounds extracted from the wood thus contribute to the balance and quality of the wines.

Read More

IMPACT OF MUST NITROGEN DEFICIENCY ON WHITE WINE COMPOSITION DEPENDING ON GRAPE VARIETY

Nitrogen (N) nutrition of the vineyard strongly influences the must and the wine compositions. Several chemical markers present in wine (i.e., proline, succinic acid, higher alcohols and phenolic compounds) have been proposed for the cultivar Chasselas, as indicators of N deficiency in the grape must at harvest [1]. Grape genetics potentially influences the impact of N deficiency on grape composition, as well as on the concentration of potential indicators in the wine. The goal of this study was to evaluate if the che- mical markers found in Chasselas wine can be extended for other white wines to indicate N deficiency in the grape must.

Read More

WHICH IMPACT FOR PROANTHOCYANIDIC TANNINS ON RED WINE FRUITY AROMA? SENSORY AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL APPROACHES

Previous research on the fruity character of red wines highlighted the role of esters. Literature provides evidence that, besides these esters, other compounds that are not necessarily volatiles may have an important impact on the overall aroma of wine, contributing to a modulation of its global aromatic expression. The goal of this work was to assess the olfactory consequences of a mixture between esters and proanthocyanidic tannins, through sensory and physico-chemical approaches.
Sensory analysis of numerous aromatic reconstitutions, including triangular tests, detection thresholds, and sensory profiles, were conducted in order to evaluate the sensory impact of tannins on red wine esters perception.

Read More