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

There is an increasing need in agriculture to adopt site-specific management (precision farming) because of economic and environmental pressures. Geophysical on-the-go sensors, such as the ARP (Automatic Resistivity Profiling) system, can effectively support soil survey by optimizing sampling density according to the spatial variability of apparent electrical resistivity (ER).

Climate is a pervasive factor in the success of all agricultural systems, influencing whether a crop is suitable to a given region, largely controlling crop production and quality

Botrytis cinerea, a well-known grapevine pathogen, has more than 1200 host plants causing grey rot in grapevine berries. However, it can also result in a desirable phenomenon called noble rot under specific microclimate conditions. An extraordinary demonstration of this natural process can be observed in the creation of aszú wines within Hungary’s Tokaj wine region. Beside B. cinerea other fungi and yeasts are involved in the secondary metabolic development of the grape berry which contributes to the sensory and analytical characterization of noble rot wines.

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a secondary step in the vinification process and it follows alcoholic fermentation (AF) which is predominantly carried out by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These two processes result in the degradation of metabolites to produce secondary metabolites which also contribute to the final wine flavour and quality. AF results in the production of ethanol and carbon dioxide from sugars and MLF stems from the degradation of L-malic acid (a dicarboxylic acid) to L-lactic acid (a monocarboxylic acid). The latter process results in a smoother texture as the acidity of the wine is reduced by the process, it also adds to the flavour complexity of the wine.

Oxygen is playing a major role in wine ageing and conservation. Many chemical oxidation reactions occur but they are difficult to follow due to their slow reaction times