Melatonin priming retards fungal decay in postharvest table grapes 

Under standard wine tasting conditions, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) responsible for the wine’s bouquet progressively invade the glass headspace above the wine surface. Most of wines being complex water/ethanol mixtures (with typically 10-15 % ethanol by volume), gaseous ethanol is therefore undoubtedly the most abundant VOC in the glass headspace [1]. Yet, gaseous ethanol is known to have a multimodal influence on wine’s perception [2]. Of particular importance to flavor perception is the effect of ethanol on the release of aroma compounds into the headspace of the beverage [1].

Vitis vinifera L. is a perennial woody vine of global importance, both in terms of economic value and geographical distribution.

The interactions among aromatic compounds and proteins is an important issue for the quality of foods and beverages. In wine, the loss of flavor after vinification is associated to bentonite treatment and this effect can be the result of the removal of aroma compounds which are bound wine proteins. This phenomenon was recently demonstrated for long chain fatty acids and their ethyl esters (1). Since these latter compounds are spectroscopically silent, their association with proteins is not easy to measure.

With its Farm-to-Fork Strategy, which is a part of the European Green Deal, the European Union aims at reducing the amount of pesticides used in agriculture by 50% until 2030. As viticulture uses around 70% of the fungicides in the EU, there is substantial pressure on winemakers to reduce their pesticide input. On top of the political goal, winegrowers face increased pressure from the public demanding a more sustainable production of wine.

Benefits of under-trellis cover crops (UTCC) have been reported. Our goal was to evaluate the UTCC, as tool to restrict vegetative growth of Vitis vinifera cv. Tannat grapevines in a humid environment.