OENOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF AUTOCHTHONOUS SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE STRAINS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE PRODUCTION OF TYPICAL SAVATIANO WINES

In recent years characterized by hot dry summers, the implementation of innovative irrigation tools in the vineyard represents a crucial challenge to ensure optimal production and to avoid excess of water consumption. It is known that the grapevine reacts to multiple stresses – i.e., high temperatures and wa- ter shortage – through adaptive mechanisms that are detrimental to the yield. Furthermore, this condi- tion is usually aggravated by high solar radiation, which could negatively affect the phenolic composi- tion of the grapes. Therefore, a cooling system has been developed aiming to reduce bunches’ sunburn damage.

Biodynamic agriculture, founded in 1924 by Rudolph Steiner, is a form of organic agriculture. Through a holistic approach, biodynamic agriculture seeks to preserve the diversity of agriculture and the existing interactions between the mineral world and the different components of the organic world. Biodynamic grape production involves the use of composts, herbal teas and mineral preparations such as 500, 501 and CBMT.
Several scientific studies have provided evidence on the effects of biodynamic farming on the soil, the plant and the wine. Numerous empirical opinions of wine growers support the existence of differences brought by such a management.

Wine phenolic compounds are important secondary metabolites in enology due to their antioxidant and nutraceutical properties, and their role in the development of color, taste, and protection of wine from oxidation and spoilage. Tannins are valuable phenolic compounds that contribute significantly to these wine properties, especially in mouthfeel characteristics; however, tannin determination remains a significant challenge, with manual and time-consuming methods or complex methodologies. The purpose of this study is to propose a novel method for quantifying condensed tannins in finished wine products.

The Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization–Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technology is commonly used in food and medical sector to identify yeast or bacteria species isolated from a nutritive culture media. Since a decade, brewery and oenology industries have been attracted to this method which combines fast analysis times, reliability and low cost of analysis. Briefly, this method is based on the comparison of the MALDI-TOF/MS protein spectra of an isolated colony of yeast or bacteria with those contain in a manufacturer’s reference protein spectra database. Initiated in 2015, the creation of the first oenological mass spectra database has proved to be essential for increase quality of species identification.

The own-rooted vineyard of Santorini is a unique case of vineyard worldwide that is been cultivated for thousands of years. On the island’s volcanic soil, the vines are still cultivated with traditional techniques, which are adapted to the specific and extreme weather conditions that prevail on it. While climate change is a reality in the Mediterranean region, will Santorini vineyard endure its impact? The study of the traditional training systems, techniques and vine density, as well as the application of sustainable solutions (cover crops and use of kaolin etc.) revealed sustainable methods for the adaptation of the local viticulture to new climatic phenomena that tend to be more and more frequent in the region due to climate change.