Cell wall remodeling mediated by specific PME genes plays a role in grapevine response to Botrytis cinerea

The yeast residue left over after wine-making, known as wine yeast lees, is a source of various compounds that are of interest for wine and food industry. In winemaking, yeast-derived glycocompounds and proteins represent an example of circular economy approach since they have been proven to reduce the need for bentonite and animal-based fining agents. This leads to a reduced environmental impact in the stabilization and fining processes in winemaking. (de Iseppi et al., 2020, 2021).

The addition of sulphur dioxide (SO2) is the method traditionally used for wine stabilisation, due to its broad spectrum of action against unwanted microorganisms and its ability to prevent oxidative phenomena.

Understanding the physiological and molecular bases of grapevine responses to mild to moderate water deficits is fundamental to optimize vineyard irrigation management and identify the most suitable varieties. In Mediterranean regions, the higher frequency of heat waves and droughts highlights the importance of precision irrigation to meet vine water demands and demonstrates the necessity for a deeper understanding of the different physiological responses among varieties under water stress. In this context, previous reports show an interplay between stomatal regulation of transpiration and changes in leaf hydraulic conductivity, also with the involvement of aquaporins (AQPs), particularly under water stress. However, how those signaling mechanisms are regulated in different grapevine varieties along phenological phases is unclear.

Many microbial starters for the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation processes are commercially available, indicated for diverse wine styles and quality goals. The screening protocols cover a wide range of oenologically relevant features, although some characteristics could also be studied using underexplored powerful techniques. In this study, we applied Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy [1,2] to compare the cell wall biochemical composition and monitor the autolytic process in several wine strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Barrel ageing is a transformative process that alters a wine’s organoleptic properties and consequently its price. Even though it is considered beneficial mostly for red wines, ageing can also be used for white wines but for shorter time periods. Due to barrel costs, space requirements and the markets’ demands for fast release of each new vintage, new products such as oak chips or shavings have been developed to help minimize the time needed for the extraction of essential wood compounds.