terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Enhancing table grape production: addressing challenges and opportunities for sustainability and quality improvement

Enhancing table grape production: addressing challenges and opportunities for sustainability and quality improvement

Abstract

Table grapes, being consumed as fresh, raisins, and transformed products are among the most appreciated fruits worldwide. Its popularity is increasing also due to its organoleptic and nutritional qualities that meet the consumers’ interest in healthier foods. Recent data from International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) revealed that table grape production has doubled in the last twenty years, and varietal availability has increased thanks to the several breeding programs.

To maintain the socio-economic impact of this sector, new challenges need to be addressed. As for the entire agrifood sector, table grape production faces decreasing water availability, increasing temperatures, but also with fungal diseases, all consequences of climate change. Moreover, the need to align with new market trends is growing the interest of the researchers. In this context, new opportunities are emerging in the sector of ready-to-eat grapes with higher shelf-life, especially for major exporting countries such as Chile, Italy, and USA.  This area of the market is currently dominated with the production of raisins for snacks, while the possibility of allocating part of the grape production to fresh-cut markets is less explored. Strategies to improve postharvest performances, reduce fungi attacks and postharvest decay of existing or new table grapes varieties are essential in this latter context. 

Current literature and ongoing projects highlight the importance of developing strategies that combine breeding and sustainable management to cope with these new challenges and open new perspectives. Exploring the wide biodiversity and studying the physiological and molecular responses of different cultivars to identify involved genes is becoming fundamental to select new genotypes better adapted to the changed environment and consumers’ needs. Moreover, a faster improvement might be obtained by combining breeding with innovative and sustainable technologies in pre- and postharvest stages to increase resilience, quality, and shelf-life.

DOI:

Publication date: June 14, 2024

Issue: Open GPB 2024

Type: Article

Authors

Maria Francesca Cardone1

1 Council for Agricultural Research and Economics – Research Center Viticulture and Enology (CREA-VE), Via Casamassima 148-70010 Turi (Ba), Italy

Contact the author*

Keywords

Table grape, quality and shelf-life, sustainability, postharvest, ready-to-eat

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Open GPB | Open GPB 2024

Citation

Related articles…

Influence des facteurs naturels du terroir sur la maturation du raisin en Alsace

A study of the influence of environmental factors on the ripening of grapes under the conditions of Alsace is carried out. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of the mesoclimate and pedoclimate. The experiment is conducted on a network of plots of gewurztraminer grafted on SO4. The production conditions are standardized throughout the device.

Spatio-temporal analysis of grapevine water behaviour in hillslope vineyards. the example of corton hill, Burgundy

Hillslope vineyards show various and complex water dynamics between soil and plants, and in order to gain further insight into this phenomenon, 8 grapevine plots were monitored during three vintages, from 2010 to 2013, on Corton Hill, Burgundy, France.

Aptitude du cépage Chenin à l’élaboration de vins liquoreux en relation avec certaines unités terroirs de base de A.O.C. Coteaux du Layon

Massif and the first sedimentary formations of the western aureole of the Paris Basin. If it is found all over the world (California, Israel, South Africa), it is in this region that it best asserts its identity. It is one of the most interesting grape varieties due to the variety and complexity of the wines it can produce. It can give very dry or very sweet, still or sparkling wines, fresh when young and sublime when ageing, expressing the characteristics of each vintage as much as those of the terroir. The Chenin is a faithful witness of its geographical, geological, pedological and climatic environment; he is the foil of the land. It has strong aptitudes for the production of sweet wines conditioned by overripe grapes often botrytised in the AOC Coteaux du Layon.Massif and the first sedimentary formations of the western aureole of the Paris Basin. If it is found all over the world (California, Israel, South Africa), it is in this region that it best asserts its identity. It is one of the most interesting grape varieties due to the variety and complexity of the wines it can produce. It can give very dry or very sweet, still or sparkling wines, fresh when young and sublime when ageing, expressing the characteristics of each vintage as much as those of the terroir. The Chenin is a faithful witness of its geographical, geological, pedological and climatic environment; he is the foil of the land. It has strong aptitudes for the production of sweet wines conditioned by overripe grapes often botrytised in the AOC Coteaux du Layon.

Comparison of tannin analysis by protein precipitation and normal-phase HPLC

Tannins are a heterogenous class of polymeric phenolics found in grapes, oak barrels and wine. In red wine tannins are primarily responsible for astringency, though they also have an important role in reacting with and stabilizing pigments. There are numerous sub-classes of tannins found in wine but they all share structural heterogeneity within each sub-class, with varied polymer composition, configuration and length.

Numerous methodologies exist for the quantification of tannins, however, protein precipitation using bovine serum albumin has proved itself useful due to its strong correlation to the sensory perception of astringency and the basic instruments required for the method. Though the method can yield valuable insights into tannin composition, it cannot be automated easily and necessitates well-trained personnel.

Implementing VIS-NIR spectroscopy as a rapid and non-intrusive technique for assessing anthocyanin and phenolic concentrations in Vitis vinifera L. Grenache whole grape berries

Anthocyanins and phenolic compounds play a crucial role in winemaking, contributing to the profile, flavor, color, texture, and stability of wine. Grape clusters, specifically Vitis vinifera L. cv. Grenache, were handpicked from a commercial vineyard sited in Tudelilla, La Rioja, Spain (42°18′ 52.26″, Long. -2°7′ 59.15″, Alt. 582 m) on five distinct dates from veraison to harvest during the 2015 season. Non-contact spectral measurements were conducted on intact grape berries using a VIS-NIR spectrometer operating in the 570 – 1000 nm spectral range under controlled laboratory conditions, positioned at a distance of 25 cm from the berries. The quantification of 16 anthocyanins and phenols in 120 grape clusters was performed using HPLC, established as the reference method for validating the spectral tool.