Data deluge: Opportunities, challenges, and lessons of big data in a multidisciplinary project

Aim: Wine quality and character are defined in part by the terroir in which the grapes are grown. Metabolomic techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), are used to characterise wines and to detect wine fraud in other countries but have not been extensively trialled in Australia. This study aimed to investigate the use of ICP-MS and NMR to characterise a selection of Pinot noir wines.

The aim of the present work was to investigate Sauternes wines aromas. The flavor profiles of two wines (vintages 2002 and 2003) were investigated. Key-odorants have been determined by AEDA applied to Amberlite XAD-2 resin extracts. Various complementary techniques were used to identify the compounds (pHMB extraction, chemical synthesis of non-commercial standards, co-injections on two capillary columns, odor description at the sniffing port, GC-MS and GC-PFPD).

Le concept AOC permet, par une délimitation précise, la mise en valeur de terroirs particulièrement adaptés à la viticulture. Seuls les terroirs ainsi identifiés peuvent produire des vins portant le nom de l’AOC. Le nom de cette AOC ne peut être utilisé que pour des vins issus de terroirs compris dans l’aire d’appellation, sous peine de sanctions pénales. La délimitation ainsi opérée participe à la protection du nom de l’AOC. A l’inverse, le terroir délimité n’est pas protégé.

The favorable effect of symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) has been known and studied since the 60s. Nowadays, many companies took the chance to start promoting and selling commercial inoculants of AMF, in order to be used as biofertilizers and encourage sustainable biological agriculture. However, the positive effect of these commercial biofertilizers on plant growth is not always demonstrated, especially under field conditions. In this study, we used a commercial inoculum on newly planted grapevines of a local cultivar grafted on a common rootstock R110. We followed the physiological status of vines, growth and productivity and functional biodiversity of soil bacteria during the first and second years of 20 inoculated with commercial inoculum bases on Rhizophagus irregularis and Funeliformis mosseaeAMF at field planting time and 20 non-inoculated control plants. All the parameters measured showed a neutral to negative effect on plant growth and production. The inoculated plants always presented lower values of photosynthesis, growth and grape production, although in some cases the differences did not reach statistical significance. On the contrary, the inoculation supposed an increase of the bacterial functional diversity, although the differences were not statistically significant either. Several studies show that the effect of inoculation with AMF is context-dependent. The non-favorable effects are probably due to inoculation ineffectiveness under complex field conditions and/or that, under certain conditions, AMF presence may be a parasitic association. This puts into question the effectiveness of its application in the field. Therefore, it is recommended to only resort to this type of biofertilizer when the cultivation conditions require it (e.g., very low previous microbial diversity, foreseeable stress due to drought, salinity, or lack of nutrients) and not as a general fertilization practice.

Xinomavro is the most important indigenous red wine variety grown in Northern Greece. It participates in the production of several PGI wines in Macedonia while from 100% Xinomavro the PDO “Amyndeon” and “Naoussa” are produced. The viticultural area of Amyndeon lies in a plateau of 550 ‐700 m of altitude, in a semi‐continental climate with mostly deep sandy loamy soils derived from limestone and marl bedrocks while in Naoussa, Xinomavro is grown in a Mediterranean climate on more heavy textured soils, sandy clay loam to clay, derived from ophiolithic, limestone and marl bedrocks, in an altitude which varies from 150 to 400 m. Different soil, climate and viticultural technique interactions, result in great variability with respect to morphological, ampelographical and physiological characters of Xinomavro as well as in the characteristics of the wines produced.