Ugni blanc berry and wine composition impacted by thirteen rootstocks

The application of remote and proximal sensing is a fast and efficient method to monitor grapevine vegetative and physiological parameters and is considered valuable to derive information on associated yield and quality traits in the vineyard. Further details can be obtained by the application of molecular analysis at the gene expression level aiming at elucidating how pathways controlling the formation of different grape quality traits are influenced by spatial variability. This work aims at evaluating intra-vineyard variability in grape composition at harvest and at comparing this with remotely sensed canopy vegetation data and molecular-based approaches.

The positive contribution of toasted vine-shoots (SEGs, Shoot from vines – Enological – Granule) used in winemaking to the chemical and sensory profile of wines has been widely proven. However, the combination of this new enological tool with other winemaking technologies, such as micro-oxygenation (MOX), has not been studied so far. It is known that micro-oxygenation is used in wineries to stabilizes color, improves structure or combining with oak alternatives products to achieve a more effective aroma integration of wines. For that, its implementation in combination with SEGs could result in differentiated wines.

Climate change poses significant challenges for viticulture, particularly in Mediterranean regions like Portugal, where extreme heat and drought conditions are becoming more frequent.

Powdery mildew, caused by fungal pathogens, poses a significant threat to grapevines in the DOCa Rioja region. In efforts to improve control strategies while reducing reliance on conventional phytosanitary products, ozone could constitute a potential alternative. However, it has short persistence, thus requiring frequent treatments. This study aimed to assess the suitability of ozone as an active substance for controlling powdery mildew within a phytosanitary strategy aimed at reducing conventional phytosanitary product usage. The strategy integrating ozone with conventional products yielded powdery mildew levels comparable to conventional treatments in both disease incidence and severity.

In Portugal, and particularly in the Demarcated Region of Douro (DDR), wine production has a great tradition, producing the unique and worldwide famous Port wine as well as other remarkably good table wines. In this study the impact of projected climate change to wine production is analysed for the DDR. A statistical grapevine yield model (GYM) is developed using climate parameters as predictors.