Altered lignans accumulation in a somatic variant of Tempranillo with increased extractability of polyphenols during winemaking

The agri-food industry is constantly searching for ingredients of high functional value, healthy and of natural origin. One species of particular interest is Vitis vinifera, due to its recognized antioxidant potential. Among the grape varieties, one group possesses these antioxidant compounds not only in the skin, but also in its pulp: Teinturier. The red grape has traditionally been used for color correction purposes in winemaking, however, its high antioxidant content transforms it into a raw material of high potential for new formulations of ingredients and foods for the health and wellness market.

Context and purpose of the study. The grapevine domestication requested the need of pruning, which expose the vines to trunk pathogens, leading to the spread of vine trunk diseases.

Hail damage can have a major impact on the vine’s physiological growth (defoliation, wood and cane damage) and can lead to significant yield and economic losses.

The yeast ecosystem in grape musts is quite broad and depends on the region and the health of the grapes. Within this, there are yeasts that can generate fermentative deviations and/or cause defects in the wine. It is very important to address this issue because there are significant economic losses in the wine industry when the fermentation process and/or the organoleptic characteristics of the wine are negatively affected, even more today since climate change has a marked effect on the composition of this ecosystem. The aim of this work is to characterize the behavior regarding detrimental oenological features of potential spoilage yeasts isolated from viticultural environments.

Grapes’ sun-drying is one of the most critical steps in the production of ‘Commandaria’, a dessert wine with Protected Designation of Origin that is exclusively produced in Cyprus from grapes of the two indigenous cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.), namely ‘Mavro’ and ‘Xynisteri’. Despite its significant economic importance, no data regarding the primary and secondary metabolites of the aforementioned cultivars exist.