Exploring diversity of grapevine responses to Flavescence dorée infection

The elaboration of sparkling wine is a demanding process requiring technical as well as scientific skills. Uncovering the role of the terroir to the final product quality is of great importance for the wine market. Although the impact of the yeast strains and their metabolites on the final product quality is well documented, the action of bacteria still remains unknown. The malolactic fermentation (MLF) is carried out by the lactic acid bacteria after the alcoholic fermentation in order to ensure the microbial stability during the second fermentation that takes place in the bottle or in tanks. Oenococcus oeni is the only selected species to drive MLF that has been commercialized for sparkling wine elaboration and it is naturally present on grapes, in the cellar and also in the final product. However, whether the bacterial strain contributes to the sensory characteristics of sparkling wine is still questioned.

All along the winemaking process, conditioning and aging, wine is susceptible to be contaminated by different molecules. Contaminations can have various origins, related to wine microorganisms or as a result of an exogenous contamination. The aforementioned contamination of the wine can be caused by the migration of molecules from the materials in contact with the wine or by a contamination from exogenous molecules present in the air. Regardless of the source of the contamination, mainly two types of consequences can be observed.

Erysiphe necator Schwein is a fungus that causes grapevine powdery mildew. It is one of the most problematic pathogens attacking Vitis vinifera L. The pathogen infects all green parts of the plant and reduces grape yield and quality. The suppression on mildew-susceptible cultivars requires intensive use of fungicides against pathogen, which has negative impact on the environment and human health.

Aims: Due to climate change and the desire to decrease enological inputs (organic farming), the vineyard has to be modified and the selection of new resistant grape varieties as an alternative is researched intensively today. From January 2018, four new grape varieties that are resistant against mildew and odium have been added to the official

The last official zoning of Viticulture in Yugoslavia was performed 1978. year, when (according to recommendation of OIV and European Economic Community), regions, sub regions and vineyards districts were established supposing that the varieties which will be exhibit ail the positive agro biological and technological characteristics.