Viticulture and climate: from global to local

Biodiversity loss in agrosystems is partly due to landscape simplification (field enlargement, hedgerows removal…) that led to a loss of heterogeneity of the overall landscape.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are very important for the characterisation and quality of the final white wine. An oenological practice to increase the extraction of aroma compounds is the cold pre-fermentative maceration [1,2], although it may also release phenolic compounds that confer darker chromatic traits to white wines, not appreciated by consumers. This practice could be improved by the use of enzymes in order to facilitate the release of the odorous molecules. In this study, the effect of different enzyme treatments during skin contact on the chromatic characteristics and volatile composition of white musts from four winegrape varieties was evaluated.

Dealcoholization of wine has gained increasing attention as consumer preferences shift toward lower-alcohol or
alcohol-free beverages. This process meets key demands, including health-conscious lifestyles, regulatory
compliance, and the expanding non-alcoholic market [1-3].

‘Vignoles’ is an aromatic, white-fruited wine grape variety valued by growers and wineries in the Eastern United States. Vignoles is grown in diverse locations in New York, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Nebraska and Michigan. Consumers recognize and value the variety for its special wine quality.

Tempranillo Tinto (TT) is the third-most planted red wine variety in the world, and it is mostly grown in the Iberian Peninsula. Spontaneous somatic variation appearing during vegetative propagation can be exploited to improve elite varieties as Tempranillo Tinto, including the selection of new phenotypes enhancing berry quality. We described previously that a somatic variant of TT with darker fruit color, the clone VN21, exhibits increased extractability of polyphenols during the winemaking process. To unravel the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon, we performed whole-genome resequencing to compare VN21 to other TT clones, revealing a 10 Mb deletion in chromosome 11 that likely affected only the L1 meristem cell layer of VN21 and tissues derived from it, such as external cell layers of berry skin.