REDWINE project: use of Chlorella vulgaris to prevent biotic and abiotic stress in Palmela’s region, Portugal, vineyards

Downy mildew, caused by Plasmopara viticola, is the most economically impactful disease affecting grapevines. This polycyclic pathogen triggers both primary and secondary infection cycles, resulting in significant yield losses when effective disease control measures are lacking. Over the winter, the pathogen survives by forming resting structures, the oospores, derived from sexual reproduction, which produce the inoculum for primary infections. To optimize grapevine downy mildew control and obtain the desired levels of production while minimizing chemical inputs, it is crucial to optimize the timeframe for fungicide application. Disease forecasting models are useful to identify the infection risk.

Tannin and polysaccharide concentration and composition is important in defining the texture of red wines, but can vary due to factors such as cultivar, region, grape ripeness, viticultural practices and winemaking techniques. However, the concentration and composition of these macromolecules is dependent not only on grape tannin and polysaccharide concentration and composition, but also their extractability and, in the case of polysaccharides, their formation by yeast. Through studies into the influence of grape maturity, winemaking and sensory impacts of red grape polysaccharides, seed and skin tannins, recent research in our laboratory has shown that the processes involved in the extraction of these macromolecules from grapes and their retention in wine are very complex.

Climate change is driving global temperatures up together with a reduction of rainfall, posing a risk to grape yields, wine quality, and threatening the historical viticulture areas of Europe.

Changes in bioclimatic indices in wine-growing region of Serbia are analyzed under the RCP 8.5 IPCC scenario.

AIM To determine the effect of both ripeness and enzyme maceration on the astringency and bitterness perception of Cabernet Sauvignon winesRecent work has contributed to a more detailed understanding of the grape cell wall deconstruction process from ripening through crushing and fermentation, providing a better understanding of what role polysaccharides play in post-harvest fermentation of grapes(1,2). Current research on glycomics in red wine making suggest polysaccharides are important sensory impact molecules (3–6). METHODSOur experimental system harvests Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at three different ripeness levels and makes wine both with and without enzyme treatment.