An evaluation of the physiological responses of young grapevines planted and maintained under water constraint 

La Région Piemonte a commencé en 1994 un projet de caractérisation des productions vitivinicoles des terroirs du Barolo (Piemonte, Italie) par une équipe pluridisciplinaire avec la participation de 6 Instituts de recherche qui travaillent dans la Région et la collaboration de 2 Associations des producteurs viticoles et des organismes de valorisation du vin Barolo.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of irrigation in improving the grape yield and quality in areas with arid and semiarid climates, particularly in the context of ongoing climate changes. However, the introduction of irrigation in vineyards of the Mediterranean basin is a matter of debate, in particular in those of the Douro Demarcated Region (DDR), due to the limited number of available studies in this region. The present study aimed to evaluate how different irrigation deficits for 6 years would influence production and must quality in Touriga Francesa (TF) and Touriga Nacional (TN) varieties.

1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphtelene (TDN) evokes the odor of “petrol” in wine, especially in the variety Riesling. Increasing UV-radiation due to climate change intensifies formation of carotenoids in the berry skins and an increase of TDN-precursors1. Exploring new viticultural and oenological strategies to limit TDN formation in the future requires precise knowledge of TDN thresholds in different matrices. Thresholds reported in the literature vary substantially between 2 µg/L up to 20 µg/L2,3,4 due to the use of different methods. As Riesling grapes are used for very different wine styles such as dry, sweet or sparkling wines, it is essential to study the impact of varying ethanol and carbonation levels.

Low temperatures are required for the acquisition and maintenance of bud cold tolerance, which are necessary for grapevines to survive freezing temperatures in winter.

The peppery attribute is often used to describe the aroma of Syrah wines. Rotundone was identified as the main aroma compound responsible for these notes. A significant percentage of anosmic respondents to this molecule was reported in previous studies. However, in most cases, these anosmic respondents, formally tested through three-alternative forced choice (3AFC), frequently declare being able to perceive peppery notes in wines. The main objective of this study was to investigate how anosmic French producers from two different regions conceptualize the peppery notes in Syrah red wines, and how they link it to production practices in comparison with non-anosmic producers.