Exploring the impact of NPR3 gene silencing on the interaction between grapevine and mycorrhizal fungi through genome editing

AIM Verdicchio and Lugana are two Italian white wines produced in the Marche and Garda lake regions respectively. They are however obtained using grape varieties sharing the same genetic background, locally known as Verdicchio in Marche and Trebbiano di Soave in Garda. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these two wine types exhibit distinctive aroma features. The aim of this work was to explore the existence of a recognizable odour profile for Lugana and Verdicchio, and whether specific aroma chemical markers could be identified. METHODS 13 commercial wines, 6 Lugana and 7 Verdicchio were used. Sensory analysis was done using sorting task methodology, assessing only odor similarities. A total of 53 volatile compounds were identified and quantified GC-MS analysis. Aging behaviors were also evaluated after an accelerated aging at 40 ° C for 3 months. RESULTS HCA analysis of sorting task data identified indeed two groups: one characterized by floral and minty notes and mostly associated with Lugana wines, the other characterized by spicy and toasted aromas and mostly associated with Verdicchio. From a chemical point of view, major differences between the two wines types were observed for cis-3-hexenol, methionol, phenylethyl alcohol, and geraniol.

In this video recording of the IVES science meeting 2023, Jordi Ballester (Centre des sciences du goût et de l’alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France) speaks on how to make a mineral wine, producers’ representations vs. scientific data. This presentation is based on an original article accessible for free on OENO One.

Leaf removal in the bunch zone is a common viticultural practice with several objectives, yet it has been difficult to conclusively link the physiological mechanism(s) and metabolic berry impact to this widely practiced treatment. We used a field-omics approach1 in a Sauvignon blanc high altitude model vineyard, showing that the early leaf removal in the bunch zone caused quantifiable and stable responses (over years) in the microclimate where the main perturbation was increased exposure. We provide an explanation for how leaf removal leads to the shifts in grape metabolites typically linked to this treatment and confirm anecdotal evidence and previous reports that leaf removal treatment at an early stage of berry development affects “quality-associated” metabolites (monoterpenes and norisoprenoids).

Le climat a de fortes implications sur le bon fonctionnement physiologique de la vigne et a besoin d’être quantifié afin de déterminer l’aptitude des régions à la culture de la vigne. Une méthode, qui pourrait éventuellement servir à prévoir l’aptitude des régions à la culture de la vigne, est proposée.

The reproducibility of elemental profile in wines produced across multiple vintages has been previously reported using grapes from a single scion clone of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Pinot noir. The grapevines were grown on fourteen different vineyard sites, from Oregon to southern California in the U.S.A., which span distances from approximately hundreds of meters to 1450 km, while elevations range from near sea level to nearly 500 m. In addition, sensorial (i.e. aroma, taste, and mouthfeel) and chemical (i.e. polyphenolic and volatile) differences across the different vineyard sites have also been observed among these wines at two aging time points. While strong evidence exists to support that grapes grown in different regions can produce wines with unique chemical and sensorial profiles, even when a single clone is used, the understanding of growing site characteristics that result in this reproducible differentiation continues to emerge. One hypothesis is that the elemental profile that a vineyard site imparts to the grape berries and the resulting wine is an important contributor to this differentiation in chemistry and sensory of wines. For example, various classes of enzymes that catalyze the formation of key aroma compounds or their precursors require specific metals. In this work, we begin to report correlations between elemental and volatile aroma profiles of site-specific Pinot noir wines, made under standardized winemaking conditions, that have been previously shown to be distinguished separately by these chemical analyses.