How much does the soil, climate and viticultural practices contribute to the variability of the terroir expression?

Molecular markers of wine oxydation, such as sotolon or Strecker’s aldehydes that induce respectively nut or curry and boiled vegetables or wilted rose odors, can be percieved as a default by consumers. These volatile compounds are especially formed during the premature aging of wine, but it is likely that several contributing compounds are still unknown as is their combined contribution. This study was carried out to identify the markers of oxydation in Chardonnay wine by Gas Chromatography Olfactometry (GC-O) and to study the impact of these markers on the complex wine aromatic buffer using the Olfactoscan approach.A Chardonnay wine (2018-vintage), taken after malolactic fermentation without sulphites addition, was submitted to an artificial oxidation to simulate more or less prononced premature oxidation. Volatile compounds were extracted by Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE) and analysed by GC-O with a panel of 13 trained subjects. The same extract was also submitted to a second analysis based on the Olfactoscan technique, which allowed to evaluate the impact of each volatile compounds on the complex aromatic buffer of a non-oxidized wine delivered as background odor. Preliminary results revealed three types of behavior. On the one hand, several odor zones appeared only with the background odour, suggesting a synergy effect induced by the compounds in the aromatic buffer. Conversely, odor-active compounds could not be perceived within the background odor suggesting a masking effect. Finally several compounds were found to contribute as key odorants for wine oxydation once mixed with the aromatic buffer. These compounds are still to be identified using complementary techniques.

The Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area (AVA) consists of the Applegate Valley, Rogue Valley, Umpqua Valley, Elkton Oregon, and Red Hills of Douglas County sub-AVAs (Figure 1) that are some of the many winegrape producing regions found within the intermountain valleys along the west coast of the United States.

Vine genetics, fruit maturity, region and vineyard are perceived as factors that strongly influence Pinot noir grape and wine composition. Our study aims to understand the relationship between grape (and ultimately wine) composition and the physical appearance and performance characteristics of a vine (i.e. vine ideotype). Our experimental approach controlled these variables by

Weather uncertainty is forcing Mediterranean winegrowers to adopt new irrigation strategies to cope with water scarcity while ensuring a sustainable yield and improved berry and wine quality standards. Therefore, more accurate and high-resolution monitoring of soil water content and vine water status is a major concern. Leaf water potential measured at pre-dawn (PD) is considered to be in equilibrium with soil water potential and is highly correlated with soil water content at the soil depth where roots extract water.

The frequency of bushfires close to wine regions around the world has increased in the last two decades. The economic losses incurred when grapes and wines are discarded due to ‘smoke taint’ are substantial (i.e., hundreds of millions of dollars). Efforts to mitigate and ameliorate smoke taint are therefore crucial. Chardonnay, rosé and cabernet sauvignon wines made from grapes exposed to smoke during the 2020 wildfires in eastern Australia were subjected to various amelioration techniques: the addition of activated carbons, molecularly imprinted polymers (mips), and a proprietary resin (either directly, or following membrane filtration); spinning cone column (scc) distillation; and finally, transformation into vinegar.