A fine scale study of temperature variability in the Saint-Emilion area (Bordeaux, France)

Grignolino, is a native Piedmont grape variety which well represents the historical and enological identity of Monferrato, a territory between Asti and Casale Monferrato, included in the World Heritage List designated by UNESCO (1).

Context and purpose of the study. Climate change is affecting wine production and induces a large variability in wine composition between vintages.

The optimal climatic conditions of the region were proved in 1867, when a leaf-print of Vitis tokaiensis was found in a stone from miocen age (13 million years ago).

Oxygen plays a key role in the evolution of wine chemistry, within the non-volatile matrix. Polyphenol composition and structure, as well as the process of tannin polymerisation are directly impacted by oxidation, and this can occur during both fermentation and ageing.

Understanding the physiological and molecular bases of grapevine responses to mild to moderate water deficits is fundamental to optimize vineyard irrigation management and identify the most suitable varieties. In Mediterranean regions, the higher frequency of heat waves and droughts highlights the importance of precision irrigation to meet vine water demands and demonstrates the necessity for a deeper understanding of the different physiological responses among varieties under water stress. In this context, previous reports show an interplay between stomatal regulation of transpiration and changes in leaf hydraulic conductivity, also with the involvement of aquaporins (AQPs), particularly under water stress. However, how those signaling mechanisms are regulated in different grapevine varieties along phenological phases is unclear.