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

The quality of wine is difficult to define. This is most certainly accredited to everyone´s different perception of quality. Some of the indicators of high-quality wines are color complexity and balance. Color is one of the most crucial attributes of quality, not only for the obvious implications for their perception but also because they are indicators of other aspects related to its aroma and taste.

Franciacorta is a viticultural area which extends in the hills to the South of Iseo lake in Lombardy. It is particularly famous for the production of sparkling wines obtained mostly from Chardonnay and Pinot blanc and noir grapes. The name of this territory is of medieval origin and appeared for the first time in 1277 as “Franzacurta”, from the Latin “franchae curtes”, i.e. “tax-free” monasteries. It was geographically delimited in 1429, when it was a territory of the Republic of Venezia.

Since some years, the French wine sector faces strategical challenges, all linked to climate change. Multiple issues have been observed like diseases development, early frost, drought, change in the precocity and maturity of grapes, each one resulting in loss of productivity and yield. In France, the varieties proposed today by nurseries are historical varieties that are not well adapted to those changes. Therefore, Mercier Frères, one of the leading grapevine nursery, has decided to start its own research programs, with the help of its laboratory Novatech, to answer the growing demand for new grapevine varieties.

Domesticated grapes are assumed to have originated in the Middle East. However, a considerable number of species are native in East Asian countries such as China, Korea and Japan as well. Evidence suggests that a total of seven species and eight varieties have been found to be native to Japan. A wide level variation in morphology, genetic and fruit composition exist in wild grape native to Japan.

The LIFE Climawin project drives the sustainable transformation of the wine sector in response to climate change through the implementation of an innovative management model applied at the demonstrative winery, Bosque de Matasnos.