Development of a semi-controlled setup for manipulating drought and heat stress in open field trials

The winery and distilling spirits industry generate a remarkable amount of by-products and wasted, that are not properly managed, posing socioeconomic problems and environmental risks, due to its seasonal and polluting characteristics.

Les travaux menés, dans le cadre du programme départemental pour la connaissance et la valorisation des terroirs viticoles, sur l’aire A.O.C. Coteaux du Languedoc / Pic Saint-Loup ont permis d’appliquer à l’échelle d’une Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (13 communes), une méthodologie d’étude axée sur les aspects sol/climat/topographie qui concourent à l’identification des terroirs naturels, facteurs de typicité des vins.

Cork taint decreases the commercial value of wine as tainted wines are rejected by consumers. Although other compounds in wine and cork can also be responsible for causing a taint, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) is regarded as the primary cause of cork taint. As cork taint is often used in marketing campaigns against natural cork closures,

Light-struck taste is a defect prevalent in white wines bottled in clear glass light-exposed for a considerable amount of time leading to a loss of color and appearance of sulfur-like odors. The reaction involves riboflavin (RF), a highly photosensitive compound that undergoes to intermolecular photoreduction by the uptake of two electron equivalents from an external donor, the methionine. The reaction includes different steps forming methional which is extremely unstable and decomposes to methane thiol and acrolein. The reaction of two molecules of methane thiol yields dimethyl disulfide. Methane thiol is highly volatile, has a low perception threshold (2 to 10 µg/L in wine) and confers aroma-like rotten eggs or cabbage.

Grape growers around the world are seeking to reduce their reliance on herbicides. However, traditional alternatives to chemical weed control do not always integrate seamlessly into established vineyard operations. Employing nonchemical weed management often requires trellis alterations, purchasing or hiring new equipment, and depending on region, may significantly increase tractor passes required to reach desired level of weed control. Critical thinking and thoughtful strategies are necessary to minimize expenditures and maintain quality during the transition away from herbicides. In this trial, irrigation was installed underground in an effort to minimize water loss due to evaporation, better direct the water to the vines, and reduce weed growth in the difficult to control undervine area.