Terroir and sustainability: an analysis of brazilian vineyards from a territorial perspective

AIM AND METHODS: Corvina and Corvinone are the two main grape varieties used in the production of Valpolicella, Recioto and Amarone, top-quality red wines in north-eastern Italy. This work aimed at determining the aroma composition of Corvina and Corvinone experimental wines and identify the main aroma compounds contributing to the aroma characteristics of Corvina and Corvinone monovarietal wines. Five Corvina and five Corvinone wines were studied, the grapes coming from five different vineyards in Valpolicella. Volatile compounds were extracted by SPE and identified and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), whereas their aroma impact was determined by gas chromatography- olfactometry (GC-O).RESULTS: Based on the GC-MS-O analysis, 95 odor zones were detected, from which 68 compounds were successfully identified. Using the criterion of a value higher than 30% in modified frequency (MF %), 51 compounds were selected and grouped according to odor similarity. Compounds with values below 30% were discarded.

The wine sector is one of the most significant industries worldwide, with Spain being a leading country in wine production and export. A key factor in wine quality is its aroma, which is directly influenced by the volatile compounds present in the grape, with terpenes being among the most significant contributors.

Several studies demonstrated how climate and soil may be key drivers of variability at different scales.

In Castilla-La Mancha as other winegrowing regions, vineyards suffer the effects of the global climate warming. Severe spring and summer droughts are increasingly frequent, which concur with the phenological stages most susceptible to water and temperature stress. Under these conditions, irrigation use is required in order to ensure the vineyard growing sustainability. However water resources are increasingly limited, for this reason is required to choose cultivars displaying high water use efficiency.

Overarching surveys of QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) studies in both model plants and staple crops have facilitated the access to information and boosted the impact of existing data on plant improvement activities. Today, the grapevine community is ready to take up the challenge of making the wealth of QTL information F.A.I.R.. To ensure that all valuable published data can be used more effectively, the myriad of identified QTLs have to be captured, standardised and stored in a dedicated public database.
As an outcome of the GRAPEDIA initiative, QTL-dedicated experts from around the world have gathered to compile the grapevine QTLome: the complete information (e.g., map positions, associated phenotypes) describing all experimentally supported QTLs for a specific trait.