Metabolomics of Vitis davidii Foëx. grapes from southern China: Flavonoids and volatiles reveal the flavor profiles of five spine grape varieties

The hot and dry climate of the Demarcated Region of Douro (DRD), Portugal, particularly during the summer, induces soil water deficits that influence the growth and development of grapevines.

I performed my PhD in grapevine physiology under the supervision of Dr. H. Medrano, standing in the vineyards from pre-dawn to sunrise during many hot, wet and sunny days with my colleagues J.M.E. and J.B. I also spent many days and nights facing ticks year-round working in Mediterranean macchias with J.Gu. and M.M. Later I was able to supervise PhD students on grapevines – like A.P. and M.T. – and on Mediterranean vegetation – like J.Gal. With the incorporation to the group of M.R.-C. ‘the puzzle’ was completed and, combining the aforementioned studies, we could conclude (more than 20 years ago) things like: (1) stomatal conductance is the best proxy for ‘water stress’ in studies on photosynthesis; (2) steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence retrieves photosynthesis under saturating light; (3) photoinhibition is not a major photosynthetic limitation under water stress; (4) mesophyll conductance instead is; and (5) mesophyll conductance is a major driver of leaf water use efficiency.

Protein instability in wines is challenging, and despite many efforts to find satisfactory alternatives to bentonite, both in terms of stability and quality, the solutions are limited in the wine industry.

In the context of climate change, excessive bitterness and astringency in wines have become increasingly prevalent. While variety selection and viticultural practices offer long-term solutions, they require considerable time before yielding practical results. In contrast, fining remains an accessible and immediate tool for winemakers.

Water nutrition is crucial for wine grape performance. Thus soil investigation aims at characterizing spatial and temporal variability of available water. A possible strategy