GiESCO 2019 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 GiESCO 9 GiESCO 2019 9 To what extent does vine balance actually drive fruit composition?

To what extent does vine balance actually drive fruit composition?

Abstract

Context and purpose of the study ‐ Vine balance is a concept describing the relationship between carbon assimilation (usually estimated using a measure of vine vigour, e.g. pruning weight) and its utilisation for fruit production (usually estimated using harvest yield). Manipulating vine balance through leaf area or crop load adjustments affects the proportion of the vine’s total carbohydrate production required to mature the fruit. It is commonly considered that composition of the berry, and resulting wine, is strongly affected by vine balance.

Material and methods – Field manipulations of vine balance were replicated in three contrasting viticultural regions of Australia, Hilltops, Murray Valley and Langhorne Creek, over three seasons. The manipulations were early defoliation (pre‐capfall), late defoliation (pre‐véraison) and 50% crop removal (pre‐véraison). Fruit were sampled prior to a treatment being applied and then at approximately two‐ week intervals until harvest, where small lot wines were made from each field replicate. The fruit samples were analysed for maturity, basic composition and the expression of key genes that regulate anthocyanin and tannin formation. In addition, the effect of defoliation was simulated, without changing bunch environment, by enclosing whole vines in chambers and supplying them with low CO2 air to reduce photosynthesis.

Results – Changing vine balance consistently altered the rate of ripening, but did not correlate with treatment effects on fruit composition, where they occurred. Late defoliation extended the maturation period, but reduced total anthocyanin content. Crop removal shortened the maturation period, but had little effect on the fruit. Interestingly, early defoliation had no clear effect on vine balance, but resulted in both increased anthocyanin and increased tannin content. The chamber experiment also extended the maturation period, but had no effect on the relationship between sugar and anthocyanins. Overall, there was no conclusive evidence that the changes in vine balance achieved had any significant effect on fruit or wine composition when fruit were harvested at the same sugar ripenesss. 

 

 

DOI:

Publication date: June 19, 2020

Issue: GIESCO 2019

Type: Article

Authors

Everard J. EDWARDS (1), Jason SMITH (2,5), Amanda WALKER (1), Celia BARRIL (2,3), Annette BETTS(1), David FOSTER (2), Julia GOUOT (2), and Bruno HOLZAPFEL (2,4)

(1) CSIRO Agriculture, Locked Bag 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia
(2) National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, Wagga Wagga, Australia
(3) School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga, Australia
(4) New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga, Australia
(5) Current address: Hochschule Geisenheim University, Germany

Contact the author

Keywords

maturation rate, vine balance, Vitis vinifera, wine composition

Tags

GiESCO 2019 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Acetaldehyde-induced condensation products in red wines affect the precipitation of salivary proteins. Will this impact astringency?

Acetaldehyde is a common component of wine. It is already formed during the fermentation being an intermediate in the production of ethanol. Moreover, it can derive from the oxidation of ethanol during the wine production and aging. In wine, concentrations of acetaldehyde range from 30 to 130 mg/L. Acetaldehyde in wine can react with many compounds such as SO2, amino acids and

A spatial explicit inventory of EU wine protected designation of origin to support decision making in a changing climate

Winemaking areas recognized as protected designations of origin (PDOs) shape important economic, environmental and cultural values that are tied to closely defined geographic locations. To preserve wine products and wine-growing practices adopted in different PDOs these areas are strictly regulated by legal specifications. However, quality viticulture is increasingly under pressure from climate change, which is altering the local conditions of many winegrowing areas. Therefore, maintaining traditional wine products will require the adoption of tailored adaptation strategies, including possible changes in the legal regulation of protected wines. To this end, it is necessary to have a comprehensive knowledge on PDOs including their extension, products and allowed practices. While there have been efforts to build databases that summarize the characteristics for individual wine PDO areas and to quantify the related effects of climate change, much information is still included only in the official documentation of the EU geographical indication register and has never been collected in a comprehensive manner. With this study we aim at filling this gap by building a spatial inventory of European wine PDOs that supports decision making in viticulture in the context of climate change. To map and characterize European wine PDOs, we analysed their legal documents and extracted relevant information useful for climate change adaptation. The output consists of a comprehensive geographical dataset that identifies the boundaries of all 1200 European wine PDOs at unprecedented spatial resolution and includes a set of legally binding regulations, such as authorized vine varieties, maximum yields and planting density. The inventory will allow researchers to analyse the impacts of climate change on European wine PDOs and support decision makers in developing tailored adaptation strategies. This includes, among others, the evaluation of new vineyard site selection, the expansion of cultivated varieties or the authorization of irrigation in vineyards.

How to transform the odor of a white wine into a red wine? Color it red!

Does a white wine smell like red wine if you color it with red food coloring? A study by Morrot, Brochet, and Dubourdieu (2001, Brain and Language) suggests so. Subjects perceived red wine odors when tasting white wine that had been colored red. The perceived odor profile of the colored white wine became similar to that of a red wine. However, the forced-choice procedure used by Morrot et al. has some methodological shortcomings. Here, we used an alternative method (a rating procedure) to evaluate the presented wines.

Influence of the unité de terroir base on the typicity of winesin the AOC Priorat in Tarragona

L’AOC Priorat, située derrière les montagnes du pré littoral de Tarragone, se caractérise par un climat méditerranéen avec une tendance à la continentalité et très peu de précipitation pendant le cycle végétatif. Les sols sont secs, pauvres et caillouteux, formés par des schistes. Au cours des années 2000 et 2001, une étude de l’influence du terroir sur la typicité des vins du Priorat a été réalisée en prenant comme référence trois cépages cultivés dans différentes parceIles pour mesurer l’effet du terroir et du mésoclimat sur la qualité des vins:

Shifting wine consumption trends (2019-2024): market dynamics, sustainability, and consumer preferences

This study examined the evolution of wine consumption trends from 2019 to 2024, analyzing market dynamics, sustainability preferences, and generational shifts in consumer behavior.