Spatial Analysis of Climate in Winegrape Growing Regions in Portugal

In some white wines, malolactic fermentation (MLF) is very interesting, and for low pH wines this process is particularly difficult. Although MLF is generally not recommended for sparkling white wine, some winemakers prefer to promote MLF to contribute to organoleptic complexity. Oenococcus oeni is generally the bacterium of choice for MLF.

ine nitrogen deficiency can negatively influence the aroma profile and ageing potential of white wines. Canopy management can alter vine microclimate, affect the nitrogen availability and influence the response of leaf senescence. Increasing the nitrogen availability to vines can increase the Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen (YAN) levels in harvested fruit and wine. Studies show that foliar nitrogen and sulphur applications at véraison, on low YAN Sauvignon blanc grapes have an effect on the level of amino acids (Jreij et al. 2009) and on S-containing compounds such as glutathione and thiols (Lacroux et al. 2008), which in turn can influence the formation of major volatiles and the aroma profile of the wine.

Table grape production requires adequate nitrogen (N) supply to sustain vine performance and obtain high yields. However, excess agricultural N fertilization is a major source of groundwater contamination and air pollution. Therefore, there is a strong need for empirically based precision N fertilization schemes in vineyards, for optimizing grape yield and quality while minimizing their environmental impact.
Our aim was to unequivocally quantify table grape N requirements, elucidate the drivers of daily N uptake, and quantify the relationship between fertigation N levels and vine growth, fruit yield, composition, and quality. For this, forty ‘Early Sweet’ (early-maturing, white) and ‘Crimson seedless’ (late-maturing, red) vines were grown in 500L drainage-lysimeters for 2 fruiting seasons, while subjected to five continuous N fertigation treatments ranging from 10 to 200 ppm.

Wine flavor results on complexes interactions of odorous components, which come from different aromatic families like esters, thiols, aldehydes, pyrazines or lactones.

Soils in vineyards are recognized as complex agrosystems whose characteristics reflect complex interactions between natural factors (lithology, climate, slope, biodiversity) and human activities. To date, most of the unknown lies in an incomplete understanding of soil ecosystems, and specifically in the microbial biodiversity even though soil microbiota is involved in many key functions, such as nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. Soil biological properties are indicative of soil quality. Therefore, understanding how soil communities are related to soil ecosystem functioning is becoming an essential issue for soil strategy conservation. Here, we propose to assess the importance of land-cover history on the present-day microbiological and physico-chemical properties. The studied area was selected in the Burgundian vineyards (Pernand-Vergelesses, Burgundy, France) where land occupation has been reconstructed over the last 40 years. Soil samples were collected in five areas reflecting various land cover history (forest, vineyards, shifting from forest to vineyards). For each area, physico-chemical parameters (pH, C, N, P, grain size) were measured and DNA was extracted to characterize the abundance and diversity of microbial communities. The obtained results show significant differences in the five areas suggesting that present-day microbial molecular biomass and bacterial taxonomic is partly inherited from past land occupation. Over longer period of time, such study of land-uses legacies may help to better assess ecosystem recovery and the impact of management practices for a better soil quality and vineyards sustainability.