Identifying physiological and genetic bases of grapevine adaptation to climate change with maintained quality: Genome diversity as a driver for phenotypic plasticity  (‘PlastiVigne’ project)

‘Tempranillo Tinto’ is one of the most relevant grapevine cultivars worldwide. Despite its early ripening and relatively short vegetative cycle, which may not be ideal for high-quality grape and wine production in warming conditions, its long-standing cultivation has led to an intense multiplication by cuttings, which originated the high level of clonal variation currently available. Now, this intra-varietal diversity provides an interesting opportunity for cultivar improvement by identifying genotypes with better adaptation potential.

Climate is a key parameter when the modulation of berry and subsequent wine composition is considered. Recent decades have already seen an increase in global surface temperatures

The occurrence of aroma and macromolecule constituents in sparkling wines, directly influencing their organoleptic characteristics, is affected by several factors, including the grape cultivar, base-wine particularities, inoculated yeasts, the aging time, and winemaking practices [1].

Fungal bunch rots of grapes cause major losses to grape yield worldwide, yet the impact these moulds have on grape and wine quality is not well characterised. We sought to investigate the formation of unwanted volatile compounds of fungal origin in both synthetic grape juice culture media and in inoculated grape berries. Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus carbonarius, or Pencillium expansum were grown in synthetic grape juice medium and the culture homogenates analysed 4 and 7 days post inoculation. HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis of the culture homogenates 4 days post inoculation demonstrated that each of the fungi examined produced varying quantities of the mushroom or fungus-like aroma compounds, 1-Octen-3-ol, 1-Octen-3-one and 3-Octanone with A. carbonarius producing up to ten times the amounts of all three metabolites per mg of dry mycelium.

The leaf area is of fundamental importance so that the plant can realize adequate levels of photosynthesis for the accumulation of reserves and to reach a suitable maturation of
the berries. In this sense, the objective was to evaluate the effect of different lengths of the stalks from the first support wire, in the must and in the wine of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’.