Arsenic in soil, leaves, grapes and wines

Primary and secondary metabolites are major components of grape quality and wine typicity. Their accumulation is interconnected through a complex metabolic network, which is still not well understood. This study aims to investigate how the enzymes of central carbon metabolism interact with anthocyanin biosynthesis during grape berry development: does the accumulation of anthocyanins, which represents a non-negligible diversion of carbon metabolic fluxes, require reprogramming of central enzymes or is it controlled downstream of central metabolism? To this end, 23 enzymes involved in central carbon metabolism pathways have been analyzed in the berries of 3 grape cultivars, which have close genetic background but distinct temporal dynamics of anthocyanin accumulation.

Grapevine susceptibility to fungal diseases, including the vascular disease esca, is a major threat for wine productivity and vineyard perennity worldwide.

Viura is a synonym for Macabeo and currently it is the most widely planted white grape variety in D.O.Ca. Rioja, with 3,569 ha, representing 84% of the white grape cultivated area. It is a generous-yielding grape, presenting low values of titratable acidity and with large and compact clusters which makes it susceptible to Botrytis cinerea. Thus, this variety not always satisfies the wine grower’s prospects. Nowadays, the available plant material is scarce, moreover, it was selected on the basis of other quality criteria, not currently requested.

Water deficits limit yields and this is one of the negative aspects of climate change. However, this applies particularly when emphasis is on biomass production (e.g. for crops like maize, wheat, etc.)

The main aim of this work was to develop an analytical method to disclosure the
molecular form of eugenol precursor. Indeed eugenol is an important contributor to
Armagnac spirits typicity made with Baco blanc.