Organic mulches improve vine vigour, yield and physiological response in a semi-arid region

Global trends in the wine industry are changing, which is caused by consumer demands for aroma and flavour innovation. Producers in Australia, the sixth globally ranked wine producing country, are embracing this trend by exploring non-conventional yeast species to improve sensory qualities and achieve fermentation advantages.

The diversity of potential sources of damage to the terroir of an appellation (physical, aesthetic, ecological damage, damage to the image, to collective representation or even, in a broad concept which will not be retained here, to the geographical name identifying the terroir) is accompanied by a fragmentation of the legal sources allowing its protection.

Among the many compounds in wine, condensed tannins play an important role in the organoleptic properties of the products; they are partly responsible for astringency, bitterness and also contribute to the color. This research work aims to study the oxidation state of these bio-heteropolymers which is an important lock in the analysis of processed products in order to better control their quality. Indeed, their identification remains at present a challenge because of the large heterogeneity of their degrees of polymerization (DP) based on 4 monomers (epicatechin, catechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin-3-O-gallate) thus multiplying the number of oxidation products.

Most of reasoning is based on a binary or dualistic exchange. But each relation between two is, either related to another one or a context, or submitted to a regulating feed-back. Therefore it is proposed to systematically reason on a basis of three elements (triptych), as the human brain, place of our thought, is also structured in three encased elements: the ‘proto-reptilian’, ‘paleo-mammalian’, ‘neo-mammalian’ brains (Mc Lean, 2006, in L. Tonielli, 2015). Ten examples are analyzed to show the universality and the interest of a ‘triptych’.

Glutathione plays a key role in preventing some oxidative processes during winemaking. This molecule limits the must enzymatic oxidation, reacts with caffeic acid and generates a colourless compound that prevents subsequent browning. It also has a protective effect on wine aroma, preventing the oxidation of the volatile compounds with a high sensory impact.