PIWIs’ variation in drought response under semi-controlled conditions 

Quercetin precipitation has become an increasingly common issue in red wine, often resulting in visually unpleasant sediments and diminished product quality.

The Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin (DO) has acquired great recognition during the last decades, being considered one of the highest quality wine producing regions in the world. This DO has grown from 6,460 ha of vineyards officially registered in 1985 to approximately 21,500 ha in 2013. The total grape production stands at around 90 million kg, with an average yield that approaches nearly 4,500 kg/ha. Most vineyards are cultivated under rainfed conditions.

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.

A multidisciplinary approach aiming at studying the grape-growing areas also referred as “Terroir” was initiated a few years ago in Switzerland.

AIM: Glutathione (GSH) is a powerful natural antioxidant, considered as a promising molecule against oxidative damage of aroma during winemaking and storage.