How sensor technologies combined with artificial intelligence increase the efficiency in grapevine breeding (research): current developments and future perspectives

Rotundone, the pepper aroma compound, has been detected in wines made from a large number of grape varieties. However, given the fact that analyzed wines were sourced from different winegrowing regions and seasons, made using different winemaking techniques and at different scales, it remains difficult to assess the real variety potential to produce rotundone.

Brettanomyces yeast can negatively impact the quality and stability of wines, posing a significant challenge to winemakers. [1] This study aims to develop novel management practices to limit Brettanomyces impact on wines by evaluating the effectiveness of electrodialysis (ED) technology in removing magnesium (Mg2+) from wine to prevent the development of Brettanomyces yeast. The ED technique utilizes charged membranes to extract ions from the wine, and it is considered an alternative to cold stabilization that requires less energy. [2]

More frequent and extreme temperatures and droughts pose challenges to the wine sector in Mediterranean Europe. Soil is crucial to sustain the equilibrium of ecosystems, economic growth and people’s prosperity worldwide. In viticulture, soils are a major component of the terroir and do influence vine’s growth, yield and berry composition. Soil temperature (ST) affects soil´s physical, chemical and biological processes and also crop growth. The impact of ST becomes even stronger when dealing with row crops such as grapevine, when considering the increased exposition to radiation. However, the impact of ST on crop performance remains poorly described, especially for extreme climatic conditions.

Efforts to improve the New Zealand wine industry’s climate resilience and sustainability through grapevine improvement are limited by germplasm availability and a reliance on Sauvignon Blanc exports. To address this, we are working to generate a population of 12,000 individuals with unique genetic traits, from which to select future clones for major export varieties.

Sauvignon Blanc plantlets are being regenerated from embryogenic callus, using an approach designed to mobilise endogenous transposable elements as mutagens.

Sterols are a fraction of the eukaryotic lipidome that is essential for the maintenance of the cell membrane integrity and their good functionality. During alcoholic fermentation, they ensure yeast growth, metabolism and viability, as well as resistance to osmotic stress and ethanol inhibition. Two sterol sources can support yeasts to adapt to fermentation stress conditions: ergosterol, produced by yeast in aerobic conditions, and phytosterols, plant sterols found in grape musts imported by yeasts in anaerobiosis. Little is known about the physiological impact of the assimilation of phytosterols in comparison to ergosterol and the influence of sterol type on fermentation kinetics parameters.