Fertilization with Seaweed (Laminaria japonica) on the characteristics of the bunch and the quality of the grape must of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’

Grapevine phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch), controlled by grafting, has re-emerged due to climate change, with shorter hibernation phases, earlier hatching and migrating of hibernales towards the leaves of the vines, and increased reproduction cycles within one season.

Wine is the result of the alcoholic fermentation (AF) of grape must. Besides AF, wine can also undergo the malolactic fermentation (MLF) driven out by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Among LAB, Oenococcus oeni and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum are the dominant species in wine. Even if O. oeni is the most common LAB undergoing MLF in wine, due to its high tolerance to wine conditions, L. plantarum can be used to undergo MLF in must. The moderate tolerance of L. plantarum to low pH and ethanol, may compromise the fermentative process in harsh wines.

One of the reasons of the spread of grapevine virus diseases in
vineyards around the world is the lack of knowledge by the main actors of the wine sector. To face this problem, five partners worked together to develop the PAThOGEN project, a training program aimed to improve grapevine virus knowledge and management. The partnership gathers one French technical center (IFV), one Spanish university (USC), one Italian applied research center (CREA), one Spanish foundation
specialized in training and technology transfer (FEUGA) and one Italian SME specialized in the development of informatics tools and in knowledge transfer (HORTA).The objectives of PAThOGEN are: (i) to develop and
maintain a high-quality work-based Vocational and Education Training program, (ii) to improve the skills of professionals of the wine sector.

Color is one of the key elements in the marketing of rosé wines[1]. Their broad range of color is due to the presence of red pigments (i.e. anthocyanins and their derivatives) and yellow pigments, likely including polyphenol oxidation products. Clarifying agents are widely used in the winemaking industry to enhance wine stability and to modulate wine color by binding and precipitating polyphenols[2]. During this study, the impact of four different fining agents (i.e. two vegetal proteins, potatoe and pea proteins, an animal protein, casein, and a synthetic polymer, polyvinylpolypyrrolidone, PVPP) on Syrah Rose wine color and phenolic composition (especially pigments) was investigated. Color was characterized by spectrophotometry analysis using the CIELab system in addition to absorbance data. Fining using PVPP had the highest impact on redness (a*) and lightness (L*) parameters, whereas patatin strongly reduced the yellow component (b*) of the wine color. In parallel, the concentration of 125 phenolic compounds including 85 anthocyanins and derived pigments was determined by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to elestrospray ionisaion triple-quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-ESI-MS) in the Multiple Reaction Monitoring mode[3] .

Must oxidation is a complex process involving multiple enzymatic transformations, including the oxidation of phenolics containing an ortho-diphenol function. The latter process has a primary influence on wine aroma characteristics and stability, due to the central role of ortho-diphenols in the non-enzymatic oxidative reactions taking place during winemaking and in finished wine. Although oxidation of must is traditionally avoided, in recent years its contribution to wine quality has been revisited, and in some cases improvements to wine aroma have been observed with the application of controlled must oxidation. Nowadays there is a great interest in the wine industry towards the identification of specific markers or patterns to characterize and classify the response of grape must to oxidation.