Arsenic in soil, leaves, grapes and wines

SO2 is used during winemaking for its anti-oxidative and anti-microbial properties. A high SO2 concentration in the wine has negative impacts by hiding wine aromas and delaying malolactic fermentation.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) include 15 lanthanides, yttrium and scandium. Their occurrence in soil and plants seems to be closely tied to the geological composition of the underlying mother rock, to the physical and chemical properties of the soil and to the specific ability of the plant to take up and accumulate these microelements.

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 effects of (A) grape freezing, and (B) malolactic fermentation, have been evaluated on the chemical and colorimetric profiles of red wines from Schiava grossa cv. grapes, thus prone to colour instability. The aim was to observe if specific variables (e.g. grape freezing) could improve the extraction and stability of pigments. The samples were studied from musts up to twelve months in bottle. The study was conducted with independent parallel micro-vinifications (12 = 4 theses x 3 replicates) under strictly-controlled conditions.

Background: Aroma compounds are important secondary metabolite in grapes and play important roles in the flavor and quality of grape berries and their wines. Vitis amurensis grape belongs to the East Asian Vitis spp., with excellent cold and disease resistance, and exhibits strong brewing potential. However, it has not been effectively utilized and there is no systematic research on the aroma compounds of V. amurensis grapes.
Methods: To provide sufficient experimental evidence for the characteristic aroma of V. amurensis grape, HS-SPME-GC/MS was used to identify the aroma compounds of five V. amurensis (‘Beiguohong’, ‘Beiguolan’, ‘Shuangfeng’, ‘Shuanghong’, ‘Shuangyou’) and three interspecific hybrids (‘Beibinghong’, ‘Xuelanhong’, ‘Zuoyouhong’) grapes in Zuojia and Ji’an. The grape berries were collected at harvest in 2020, 2021 and 2022.