Freeze-thaw treatment to enhance phenolic ripening and tannin oxidation of seeds

Artificial intelligence (AI) for winegrowers refers to robotics, smart sensor technology, and machine learning applied to solve climate change problems. Our research group has developed novel technology based on AI in the vineyard to monitor vineyard growth using computer vision analysis (VitiCanopy App) and grape maturity based on berry cell death to predict flavor and aroma profiles of berries and final wines.

to maintain viticulture under global warming conditions, it is important to carefully select the appropriate genotypes for each vine-growing region and develop cultivars that are drought resistant. this ability is highly dependent on hydraulic traits, which are dynamic and vary according to the vine’s developmental stage and climatic conditions. this framework steadily enhances our understanding of the differences in drought resistance among vitis genotypes. however, there is still a need to comprehensively grasp the intra-specific variability, particularly between oenological and table grape cultivars.

3-Mercaptohexanol (3MH) is a volatile thiol occurring in several white and red wines, where it can contribute to fruity attributes. Its content is typically high in wines from certain grape varieties, in particular Sauvignon blanc, where it is considered a varietal marker. The strong nucleophilic character of thiols makes 3MH rather unstable during wine storage, due to the presence of several strong electrophilic species. Among these electrophilics, those arising from the oxidation of flavan3-ols such as catechin and epi-catechin have been indicated as critical for 3MH stability. Accordingly, there is a generalized interest towards the ability of vinification practices to reduce 3MH loss during aging through the management of wine flavan-3-ols content.

Aim: Early leaf removal, generally applied before flowering, is mostly conceived as a technique to control grape yield and improve the health of grapes and focused on the final objective of increasing wine quality.

AIM: Glutathione (GSH) is a non-protein thiol naturally present in grape berries and produced by yeasts during fermentation. It has a strong antioxidant activity, thus can be added during winemaking to limit the oxidative phenomena of wine, preserving sensory characteristics and stability, ultimately promoting a healthier product by reducing the need for SO2 addition.