Cumulative effects of repeated drought stress on berry composition, and phenolic profile: Field experiment insights

For the purpose of producing predicate wines in northern part of Croatia, grapes are traditionally left on the vine unpicked. However, grapes on the vine are exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions that affect rapid rotting and attacked by birds. To eliminate the mentioned risks, the grapes can be picked and placed in a protected space (loft, greenhouse, etc.) suitable for drying. This study presents the results of research on withering grapes of the ‘Moscato giallo’ variety in two tretment: sun drying (under covered terrace) and drying in the shade (loft). The following quality parameters were monitored: mass of grapes, sugar concentration, content of total acids, pH, content of organic acids.

To alter the vineyard microclimate and produce quality wine under a semi-arid climate, black geotextile inter-row mulch (M) was applied for two vintages (2016-2017). The grapes were sampled at three growing stages to conduct the untargeted metabolome and transcriptome analysis. The upregulated genes related to photosynthesis and heat shock proteins confirmed that M weakened the total light exposure and grapes suffered severe heat stress, resulting in lower sugar and higher acids at harvest. The integration of metabolome and transcriptome analysis identified the key genes responsible for the enhancements in phenylalanine, glutamine, ornithine, arginine, and C6 alcohol concentrations, and the downward trend in ε-viniferin, anthocyanins, flavonols, terpenes and norisoprenoids concentrations in M grapes.

Irrigation initiation timing is a critical annual management decision that has cascading effects on grapevine productivity and wine quality.

‘Tempranillo Tinto’ is a black-berried Iberian cultivar that originated from a hybridization between cvs. ‘Benedicto’ and ‘Albillo Mayor’ [1]. Today, it is the third most widely grown wine grape cultivar worldwide with more than 200,000 hectares of vineyards mostly distributed along the Iberian Peninsula, where it is also known as ‘Cencibel’, ‘Tinta de Toro’, ‘Tinta Roriz’, and ‘Aragonez’, among other synonyms. Here, we quantified the intra-varietal genomic diversity in this cultivar through the study of 35 clones or ancient vines from seven different Iberian wine-making regions. A comparative analysis after Illumina whole-genome sequencing revealed the presence of 1,120 clonal single nucleotide variants (SNVs).

L’appellation d’origine contrôlée repose sur une définition précise de l’aire de production du raisin. Cette délimitation définie par l’Institut National des Appellations d’Origine est proposée par des experts choisis pour leurs compétences dans le domaine de la connaissance de la relation terroir – vins, après avis du syndicat de défense de chaque AOC.