In vitro tissue culture as a tool for Croatian grapevine germplasm management

The use of bees as pollinators in vine varieties with physiologically female flowers (Picolit, Bicane, Ceresa, Moscato rosa, etc.) (Cargnello, 1983) and as bio-indicators for biodiversity and environmental sustainability is well-known. Furthermore, there are interests in: 1-a. Making the viticulture of Belluno (Province of Veneto in North-eastern Italy, which is also famous for the Dolomites -a UNESCO World Heritage-) regain the socioeconomic role which it is entitled to and which it had got in its past by aiming at the enhancement of local grape variety in harmony with others, for example with the neighboring area of the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG; 2-a. Maintaining and further improving the important natural and healthy environment of Belluno, and making its territory and the “lookout” means of the environmental sustainability, including its vineyards, even more naturally original and sustainable 4.1C.

Yeast cell wall components are valuable biotechnological tools with applications in oenology and beyond [1], [2].

Several Eurasian wild grapevine populations were found along Extremadura region (southwestern Spain). For conservation and study, one individual from four different populations (named L1, L2, L5 and L6) was vegetatively propagated and planted at Instituto de Investigaciones Agrarias Finca La Orden (CICYTEX), Badajoz. The aim of the present work was to characterize those conserved individuals from four different populations based on both an ampelographic description and a molecular analysis. Three vines per individual were studied.

Smoke impact is an ongoing and growing issue for vintners across the globe, with the west coast of the U.S. and Australia being two of the largest wine industries impacted. Wine has shown to be especially sensitive to smoke exposure, often acquiring off-flavor sensory characteristics, such as “burnt rubber”, “ashy”, or other medicinal off-flavors.1 While several studies have examined the chemical composition of smoke influences on wine, some studies disagree on what compounds are having the largest impact on smell and flavor.2 This study is designed as a bottom-up approach to inventory the chemical compounds derived from smoke from a grassland-like fire that are potentially influencing wine chemical composition.

Wine grapes have the ability to accumulate high amounts of hexoses (glucose and fructose), which is considered one of the main processes occurring during the ripening stage. Sugar accumulation dynamics respond to genetic, environmental and vineyard management factors, with a changing climate leading to advanced and faster sugar accumulation worldwide. Research on mitigation techniques to this phenomenon is ongoing, with the largest focus being vineyard techniques to delay sugar accumulation. Breeding represents another powerful tool to address the issue of high sugar concentration at harvest, since historical trends of selecting best sugar-accumulators may be inverted to breed varieties that accumulate diminished concentrations of hexoses while maintaining optimal acidity, color, mouthfeel and aroma compounds.