Exogenous dsRNA applications to identify novel candidate susceptibility genes to downy mildew

The vast majority of our understanding of grapevine physiology is focused on the processes that occur during the growing season. Though not obvious, winter physiological changes are dynamic and complex, and have great influence on the survival and phenology of grapevines. In cool and cold climates, winter temperatures are a constant threat to vine survival. Additionally, as climate changes, grapevine production is moving toward more traditionally cool and cold climates, either latitudinal or altitudinal in location. Our research focuses on understanding how grapevines navigate winter physiological changes and how temperature impacts aspects of cold hardiness and dormancy. Through these studies, we have gained keen insight into the connections between winter temperature, maximum cold haridness, and budbreak phenology, that can be used to develop prediction models for viticulture in a changing climate.

In this video recording of the IVES science meeting 2025, Gonzaga Santesteban (Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain) speaks about rootstocks, climate change and meta-analysis. This presentation is based on an original article accessible for free on OENO One.

The maintenance and valorization of genetic diversity is an undoubtable resource for the viticulture of the future, since the climate crisis is forcing us to think of new, more resilient varieties. For this reason, the grapevine germplasm of the Fondazione Edmund Mach has been continuously expanded in the last decade to a total of 3,120 accessions, whose trueness-to-type has been verified by means of the universal set of nine microsatellites. About two thirds are V. vinifera subsp. vinifera accessions, while the rest consists of naturalized and selected hybrids, V. vinifera subsp. sylvestris, and pure species. The genetic material has also been characterized over three consecutive years for ampelographic, vine development, and biotic stress response traits to be exploited for experimental purposes.

Oxygen is playing a major role in wine ageing and conservation. Many chemical oxidation reactions occur but they are difficult to follow due to their slow reaction times

In sparkling winemaking several yeasts can be used to perform the primary alcoholic fermentation that leads to the elaboration of the base wine. However, only a few Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains are regularly used for the secondary in-bottle alcoholic fermentation 1. Recently, advances in yeast development programs have resulted in new breeds of interspecific wine yeast hybrids that ferment efficiently while producing novel flavours and aromas 2. In this work, sparkling wines produced using interspecific yeast hybrids for the secondary in-bottle alcoholic fermentation have been chemically and sensorially characterized.METHODS: Three commercial English base wines have been prepared for secondary in-bottle alcoholic fermentation with different yeast strains, including two commercial and several novel interspecific hybrids derived from Saccharomyces species not traditionally used in sparkling winemaking. After 12 months of lees ageing, the 14 wines produced were analysed for their chemical and macromolecular composition 3,4, phenolic profile 5, foaming and viscosity properties [6]. The analytical data were supplemented with a sensory analysis.