Un jour, l’AOD (Appellation d’Origine viticole Durable), fusion de l’origine et de la durabilité

The global wine consumption landscape is undergoing a transformation, marked by a growing trend towards reduced consumption and a preference for healthier lifestyles. In line with this shift, european union regulation (regulation eu 2021/2117) has recently redefined dealcoholized or partially dealcoholized wine within the wine category.

Climate change and environmental degradation are existential threats to europe and the world. One of the most important objectives is to reduce by 2030 the use and the risk of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, reducing nutrient losses and increasing organic farming. Grapevine (vitis spp.) is one of the major and most economically important fruit crops worldwide. It is characterised by high levels of genetic diversity, as result of natural genetic mutations, which are common in grapevines and further assisted by ongoing vegetative propagation.

Modern winemakers must ensure effective alcoholic fermentation without losing the intrinsic biodiversity of the different oenological contexts. In this sense, the population of saccharomyces cerevisiae characteristic of wineries that traditionally do not use selected yeasts can represent an interesting reservoir of biodiversity.

Organic wines, although resulting from a production method based on the non-use of synthetic phytosanitary products, are not always free of residues. These residues can result from cross-contamination during production in the field or in the cellar, during the production or aging of the wine. In recent years, with the improvement of analysis techniques, a molecule, phosphonic acid, the main metabolite of fosetyl-al (banned in organic farming) is regularly quantified in organic wines and its origin is not clearly identified.

Viticulture is threatened by the environmental modification caused by climate change. Higher temperatures determine an acceleration of the ripening process, which can be detrimental to wine quality. In the mediterranean area, heat waves are also increasingly frequent, with consequent blocking of the vegetative activity of the vines and increased susceptibility to sunburn damage. thus, adaptation strategies are necessary to reduce stress and improve the quality of grape production. Amongst the various techniques available, shading nets represent an interesting alternative for their effects on canopy microclimate (i.e., reduction of photosynthetic activity, improvement of water use efficiency, and slowing down in the ripening process).