Characterization of phenolics and VOCs in wines obtained from Malbec vineyards of the Uco Valley submitted to high-altitude solar UV-B and water restriction

Solo attraverso un adeguato intervento di estirpazione e reimpianto dei vigneti è possibile preservare, adeguare e valorizzare il patrimonio viticolo e le produzioni che da esso derivano.
Il reimpianto dei vigneti è pertanto da intendersi come una normale pratica agricola, alla pari della rimonta di stalla in campo zootecnico, ma può assumere toni problematici quando, come si verifica adesso in Toscana per una serie di circostanze legate alla profonda trasfor­mazione della viticoltura avvenuta negli ultimi 30 anni, troppi impianti giungono contem­poraneamente a fine ciclo produttivo e devono essere rinnovati.

A terroir represents grouping of homogenous environmental units, or natural terroir units, based on the typicality of the products obtained. Identification and characterisation of terroirs depends on knowledge of environmental parameters, the functioning of the grapevine and characteristics of the final product, which must be placed in a spatial context.

With the aim of producing premium wines, it is admitted that moderate environmental stresses may contribute to the accumulation of compounds of interest in grapes. However the ongoing climate change, with the appearance of more limiting conditions of production is a major concern for the wine industry economic. Will it be possible to maintain the vineyards in place, to preserve the current grape varieties and how should we anticipate the adaptation measures to ensure the sustainability of vineyards? In this context, the question of the responses and adaptation of grapevine to abiotic stresses becomes a major scientific issue to tackle. An abiotic stress can be defined as the effect of a specific factor of the physico-chemical environment of the plants (temperature, availability of water and minerals, light, etc.) which reduces growth, and for a crop such as the vine, the yield, the composition of the fruits and the sustainability of the plants. Water stress is in many minds, but a systemic vision is essential for at least two reasons. The first reason is that in natural environments, a single factor is rarely limiting, and plants have to deal with a combination of constraints, as for example heat and drought, both in time and at a given time. The second reason is that plants, including grapevine, have central mechanisms of stress responses, as redox regulatory pathways, that play an important role in adaptation and survival. Here we will review the most recent studies dealing with this issue to provide a better understanding of the grapevine responses to a combination of environmental constraints and of the underlying regulatory pathways, which may be very helpful to design more adapted solutions to cope with climate change.

The wine industry works to minimize pesticides and adapt to climate change. Breeding programs have developed disease-resistant grape varieties, particularly against downy and powdery mildew, to minimize pesticide applications [1]. However, their enological potential remains underexplored.

Aroma is considered one of the most important factors in determining the quality and character of wine. The relationship between wine character and its volatile composition is recognized by several researchers worldwide. Since these compounds influence the sensory perceptions of consumers, both volatile composition and sensory properties are essential in determining wine aroma characteristics.