Leaf necrosis induced by the insecticide carbaryl in Vitis rupestris ‘B38’

According to the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Cava is protected in the quality sparkling wines made by the traditional Champenoise method were the wine realize a second fermentation inside the own bottle1. Geographical and human peculiarities of each bottle are the main way for the final quality2. The aim of this study is to find correlations and which target compounds are the most representative of the quality of two different grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Xarel·lo. The quality of these two types of grapes is being studied for each variety by a previous classification of the vineyard made by the company who provided the samples (qualities A,B,C,D, being A the better one and D the worst one). The target compounds studied are organic acids and polyphenols. The methodology for the determination of organic acids is HPLC-UV/vis and for some of them the enzymatic methodology.

Wine phenolic compounds are important secondary metabolites in enology due to their antioxidant and nutraceutical properties, and their role in the development of color, taste, and protection of wine from oxidation and spoilage. Tannins are valuable phenolic compounds that contribute significantly to these wine properties, especially in mouthfeel characteristics; however, tannin determination remains a significant challenge, with manual and time-consuming methods or complex methodologies. The purpose of this study is to propose a novel method for quantifying condensed tannins in finished wine products.

Oligosaccharides have only recently been characterized in wine, and the information on composition and content is still limited. In wine, these molecules are mainly natural byproducts of the degradation of grape berry cell wall polysaccharides. Wine oligosaccharides present several physicochemical properties, being one relevant factor linked to the astringency perception of wines (1,2). A terroir can be defined as a grouping of homogeneous environmental units based on the typicality of the products obtained. This notion is particularly associated with wine, being the climate and the soil two of the major elements of terroir concept.

Flavescence dorée, a serious threat to grapevine cultivation in several European Countries, is caused by phytoplasmas in the 16Sr-V ribosomal group, classified as quarantine organisms in the EU and transmitted mainly by the insect vector Scaphoideus titanus. The disease is controlled only by indirect and preventive measures, with important economic and environmental concerns. Genetic resources from the great variety of Vitis vinifera germplasm together with application of new genomic techniques could be applied to produce resistant/tolerant plants, once the genetic bases of susceptibility are elucidated. In a current Italian project (BIORES*) we are evaluating different international and local grapevine cvs. as well as microvine plants for their response to FD transmission and multiplication in controlled conditions.

Postharvest dehydration is a widely employed technique in winemaking to enhance sugar concentration and secondary metabolites from grapes. Different grape varieties exhibit varying responses in terms of dehydration rate and the resulting chemical composition.