Towards a better understanding of the root system diversity and plasticityin young grafted vines using 2D imaging and 3D modelling tools

Vintage is part of « terroir ». The aim of this work is to study, through vine and berry parameters, the effect of vintage on the three major red grape varieties in Côtes du Rhône : Grenache N, Syrah N and Mourvedre N. We first characterized vintages 1997 to 2003, highlighting similar features in grape development across the different cultivars since 2001 only.

Cognac spirit aromas result from the presence of a wide variety of volatile odorous compounds associated with the modalities of distilled spirit elaboration and during aging. Indeed, these odorous compounds play an essential role in the finesse and complexity of the aged Cognac.

The effect that some extraction techniques, such as ultrasound (Cacciola, Batllò, Ferraretto, Vincenzi, & Celotti, 2013; Povey & McClements, 1988) or microwaves (Carew, Close, & Dambergs, 2015; Carew, Gill, Close, & Dambergs, 2014) produce on the aroma of red wines, when applied to processes of extractive nature, such as pre-fermentative maceration or ageing with oak chips (Spanish oak – Quercus pyrenaica and French oak – Quercus robur) has been studied. The volatile profile was determined by means of gas chromatography coupled with olfactometric and mass spectrometric detection. A sensory analysis was also carried out. No indications were found to show that the pre-fermentative treatment with microwaves or ultrasound modified the sensory profile of the wines whereas the application of such energies during the ageing phase showed some positive trends at sensory level.

This presentation aims to demonstrate that the value attributed to wine as we today know it is based on three factors: 1) sensory balance, 2) personality, and 3) bioactivity.

The introduction into the Italian wine supply chain of the latest generation of fungi-resistant grapevine varieties, endowed with a greater or lesser strong resistance to downy and powdery mildews, represents a valid tool of making viticulture more sustainable, particularly in northern regions of the peninsula, where climatic conditions accentuate the pressure of fungal diseases. However, the affirmation of resistant varieties is a function of their agronomic value, as well as of their oenological and sensorial value. The purpose of this study was to evaluate in detail the sensory potential of the new resistant varieties, in order to understand their real possibility of inclusion in the modern global enological context.