Veraison as determinant for wine quality and its potential for climate adapted breeding

The use of toasted vine-shoots (SEGs) as an enological tool is a new practice that seeks to improve wines, differentiating them and encouraging sustainable wine production. The micro-oxygenation (MOX) technique is normally combined with alternative oak products with the aim to simulate the oxygen transmission rate that takes place during the traditional barrel aging. Such new use for SEGs implies a reduction in color due to the absorption by the wood of the responsible compounds, therefore, given the known effect that MOX has shown to have on the modification of wine color, its use together with the SEGs could result in an interesting implementation with the aim to obtain final wines with more stable color over time.

Botrytis cinerea, a well-known grapevine pathogen, has more than 1200 host plants causing grey rot in grapevine berries. However, it can also result in a desirable phenomenon called noble rot under specific microclimate conditions. An extraordinary demonstration of this natural process can be observed in the creation of aszú wines within Hungary’s Tokaj wine region. Beside B. cinerea other fungi and yeasts are involved in the secondary metabolic development of the grape berry which contributes to the sensory and analytical characterization of noble rot wines.

Odours deemed harmful by the consumer and described as “stable”, “horse sweat” or “burnt plastic” can be found in wines. The responsible molecules are volatile phenols, produced by a spoilage yeast: brettanomyces bruxellensis. This species is particularly well adapted to the wine environment and can resists many stresses such as a high alcohol level, a low ph or high levels of SO2, more or less efficiently depending on the strain considered.

Xinomavro is the most important indigenous red wine variety grown in Northern Greece. It participates in the production of several PGI wines in Macedonia while from 100% Xinomavro the PDO “Amyndeon” and “Naoussa” are produced. The viticultural area of Amyndeon lies in a plateau of 550 ‐700 m of altitude, in a semi‐continental climate with mostly deep sandy loamy soils derived from limestone and marl bedrocks while in Naoussa, Xinomavro is grown in a Mediterranean climate on more heavy textured soils, sandy clay loam to clay, derived from ophiolithic, limestone and marl bedrocks, in an altitude which varies from 150 to 400 m. Different soil, climate and viticultural technique interactions, result in great variability with respect to morphological, ampelographical and physiological characters of Xinomavro as well as in the characteristics of the wines produced. 

Wine is at risk of being labelled as a dangerous health product, based on studies that focus on its alcohol content. However, multiple studies suggest that moderate consumption is healthy. Changing the focus from health impacts to the environmental and socioeconomic impacts that wine companies cause, what can be said?