Validation of phenological models for grapevine in the Veneto region

Context and purpose of the study. Rising temperatures and prolonged heat accelerate berry sugar accumulation in advance of the accumulation of compounds responsible for aroma, colour and mouthfeel.

Nowadays, winemaking is dealing with great challenges, notably climate change, disease resistance and low pesticide inputs, desire for more sustainable agricultural productions and permanent changing of consumer preference.

Commercial oenological tannins (TECs) are widely used in the wine industry. TECs are rich in condensed tannins, hydrolyzable tannins or a mixture of both. Wine grapes are a important source of proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins while oak wood possess a high concentration of hydrolyzable tannins (Obreque-Slier et al., 2009). TECs contribute with the antioxidant capacity of wine, catalyze oxide-reduction reactions and participate in the removal of sulfur compounds and metals.

The wine spoilage yeast Brettanomyces bruxellensis can be found at several steps in the winemaking process due to its resistance to multiple stress conditions. Among the resistance strategies, one could be the formation of biofilm, a lifestyle known to enhance persistence of microorganisms. In this study, we propose to characterize biofilm of B. bruxellensis in wine, especially through several microscopic analyses.

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) is a high-tech analytical method that recently found its way into the field of wine analysis with special focus on wine authentication.