Terroir 2014 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 The impact of vine nitrogen status on aroma potential expression in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sauvignon blanc

The impact of vine nitrogen status on aroma potential expression in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sauvignon blanc

Abstract

In interaction with climate and genetic or human factors, the soil is a major component of the viticulture terroir. The mineral composition of the soil influences vine performance and wine sensory attributes. Among the elements that vines take from the soil, nitrogen is the one that has the strongest impact on vine physiology, vigor and grape composition. In addition to its major effect on primary metabolites in berries, nitrogen plays also a decisive role in the secondary metabolism, especially in the production of key compounds for berries quality, like volatile thiols, methoxypyrazines and glutathione (GSH). 

To study the effect of nitrogen on these target metabolites, an experiment on Sauvignon blanc vines was performed in Bordeaux and Sancerre areas (France). Four nitrogen treatments were applied: control, soil application of 50kg N/ha, soil application of 100kg N/ha and foliar application of 15kg N/ha. Secondary metabolites were measured in grape berries and in wines produced through small scale vinifications. 

Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen and N-tester measurements showed a significant difference in vine nitrogen status among the four treatments. The analysis of volatile compounds showed an increase in the content of 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol precursors (P-3SH) and GSH in berries from vines with high N status. Similar effect of nitrogen was observed on the concentration of 3SH and GSH in wine. 

This study will allow better management of vine nitrogen status in vineyards allowing a quantitative and qualitative control of grape berries.

DOI:

Publication date: August 18, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2014

Type: Article

Authors

Pierre Helwi (1), (3), Sabine Guillaumie (1), Cécile Thibon (2), Philippe Darriet (2), Cornelis van Leeuwen (1), (3) 

(1) Univ. Bordeaux, ISVV, UMR 1287 EGFV, INRA, 33882 Villenave d’Ornon France 
(2) Univ. Bordeaux, ISVV, Unité de recherche OEnologie EA4577, USC1366, INRA, 33882 Villenave d’Ornon France 
(3) Bordeaux Sciences Agro, ISVV, UMR 1287 EGFV, INRA, 33882 Villenave d’Ornon France 

Contact the author

Keywords

terroir, nitrogen, Sauvignon blanc, berry, wine, volatile thiols, methoxypyrazines, glutathione

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2014

Citation

Related articles…

Preserving wine typicity in a climate change scenario: Examples from the Willamette Valley, Oregon

Aims: Wine typicity is defined as a reflection of varietal origins, cultures and traditions of the wine. These aspects are many times also extremely important when considering a wines quality. However, as climate change occurs the typicity of wines may also change. With the long history of winemaking it is possible to define a wines typicity and how it has changed as climate alters. 

Soil management of interrow spacing as an important factor to protect the vineyard soils from runoff and erosion under the Mediterranean climate

Nearly one third of the Herault vineyard (south of France) is planted on soils very sensitive to water runoff and erosion

Towards understanding the mechanisms of resistance to grapevine Flavescence dorée

Flavescence dorée (FD) is a very serious grapevine disease, classified as quarantine in europe, where it appeared in the middle of the last century. It is associated with the presence of phytoplasmas, transmitted in the vineyard by a leafhopper of american origin, scaphoideus titanus. FD causes severe wine production losses and often leads to plant death. There are currently no alternative solutions to insecticide treatments against the vector and uprooting diseased vines.

Characterization of free and glycosidically bound simple phenols in hybrid grape varieties using liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass (q-orbitrap)

Vitis vinifera is one of the most diffused grapevines over the word and it is the raw material for high quality wines production. The availability of more resistant interspecific hybrid vine varieties, developed from crosses between Vitis vinifera and other Vitis species, has generating much interest, also due to the low environmental effect of production. However, hybrid grape wine composition and varietal differences between interspecific hybrids are not well defined. Different studies revealed that wine consumption has health effects due to its high content of antioxidants, as phenolic compounds. In particular, simple phenols are appreciated not only for their physiological health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective effects, but also because they affect wines organoleptic profile and have a significant role in defining their nutritional characteristics.

FERMENTATION POTENTIAL OF INDIGENOUS NON-SACCHAROMYCES YEASTS ISOLATED FROM MARAŠTINA GRAPES OF CROATIAN VINEYARDS

The interest in indigenous non-Saccharomyces yeast for use in wine production has increased in recent years because they contribute to the complex character of the wine. The aim of this work was to investigate the fermentation products of ten indigenous strains selected from a collection of native yeasts established at the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation in 2021, previously isolated from Croatian Maraština grapes, belonging to Hypopichia pseudoburtonii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Metschnikowia sinensis, Metschnikowia chrysoperlae, Lachancea thermotolerans, Pichia kluyveri, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Hanseniaspora guillermondii, Hanseniaspora pseudoguillermondii, and Starmerella apicola species, and compare it with commercial non-Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces strains.