Tasting soils in Pinot noir wines of the Willamette valley, Oregon

Vineyards face climate change, increasing temperatures, and drought affecting vine water status. Water deficit affects plant physiology and can ultimately decrease yield and grape quality when it is not well managed. Monitoring vine water status and irrigation can help growers better manage their vineyards.

Aim of the study was to investigate the metabolomic differences between Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon wines, divided according to their quality in two main groups: “Varietal” and “Premium”, and to point out metabolites tentative markers of their chemical signature and sensorial quality. Initially, 150 (50 x 3 biological replicates) experimental wines were produced by the same semi-industrial process, which covered 8 different Chilean valleys. The wine classification made by experts, divided the wines into two major groups (“Varietal” and “Premium”) and four subgroups (two for each major group). All the samples were analyzed according to a robust LC-MS based untargeted work-flow (Arapitsas et al 2018), and the proposed minimum reporting standards for chemical analysis of the Metabolomics Standards Initiative (Sumner et al 2007)

The Cognac region is expanding, driven by the success of its renowned brandy and the demand for high grape yields to ensure a steady supply of base wine for distillation. Ugni blanc, the most widely planted grape variety, relies on rootstocks for soil and climate adaptation, providing essential nutrient supplies to the scion. Understanding the impact of rootstocks on key berry components, such as sugars and nitrogen compounds, is crucial. These compounds serve as primary precursors for the production of fermentative aroma metabolites, which, in turn, act as quality indicators for eau-de-vie.

Grape pomace is one of the main by-products generated after pressing in winemaking.Emerging methods, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction with eutectic mixtures, have great potential due to their low toxicity, and high biodegradability. Choline chloride (ChCl) was used as a hydrogen bond acceptor and its corresponding hydrogen bond donor (malic acid, citric acid, and glycerol: urea). Components were heated at 80 °C and stirred until a clear liquid was obtained. Distilled water was added (30 % v/v). A solid-liquid ratio of 1 g pomace per 10 ml of eutectic solvent was used.

Aromatic characteristics of wines are strongly influenced by agronomical and enological factors, depending of the climate, cultivar and winemaking process. Tropical wines are a new concept of vitiviniculture that is being developped in the Northeast of Brazil since the 80’s, located between 8-9º latitude of the South Hemisphere, where the second most important cultivar used for reds is Tempranillo. In this condition, vines produce grapes and enologists elaborate wines twice a year, because high temperatures, solar radiation and water availability for irrigation.