The taste of color: how grape anthocyanin fractions affect in-mouth perceptions

The definition of the term “quality” in sensory evaluation of food products does not seem to be consensual. Descriptive or liking methods are generally used to differentiate between wines (Lawless et al., 1997). Nevertheless, quality evaluation of a product such as wine can also relate to emotional aspects. As exposed by Costell (2002), product quality is defined as an integrated impression, like acceptability, pleasure, or emotional experiences during tasting. According to the ‘modality appropriateness’ hypothesis which predicts that wine tasters weigh the most suitable sensory inputs for a specific assess- ment (Freides, 1974; Welch & Warren, 1980), the nature of the quality definitions may modulate sensory influences.

Overarching surveys of QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) studies in both model plants and staple crops have facilitated the access to information and boosted the impact of existing data on plant improvement activities. Today, the grapevine community is ready to take up the challenge of making the wealth of QTL information F.A.I.R.. To ensure that all valuable published data can be used more effectively, the myriad of identified QTLs have to be captured, standardised and stored in a dedicated public database.
As an outcome of the GRAPEDIA initiative, QTL-dedicated experts from around the world have gathered to compile the grapevine QTLome: the complete information (e.g., map positions, associated phenotypes) describing all experimentally supported QTLs for a specific trait.

The Grenache Noir grape variety, due to its originality and its representativeness, contributes very directly to the quality and typicality of the wines of the Rhône Valley. It is generally appreciated for its varied aromatic palette and for the roundness and suppleness it gives to wines. Since 1995, the Rhodanien Institute has set up a network of reference plots representative of the different types of terroir present in the southern zone of the Côtes du Rhône Appellation (TRUC, 1997; VAUDOUR et al, 1996 ) . Publications on the aromatic composition of grapes and wines are very abundant, but only a few articles have appeared on the Grenache grape variety PAUMES et al., 1986).

Decrease of chemical inputs during vine management and winemaking is of great importance from a political and societal point of view. In our ongoing project we propose alternative tools to chemicals in the vineyard and the cellar. We have compared a conventional vineyard protection strategy to an alternative strategy using copper and biocontrol products (Biocontrol) against downy

Marselan wines have an unusual high proportion of seed derived tannins from grapes having high proportions of skins, which are rich in tannins. But the causes behind this characteristic have not yet been identified. In vintage 2023 wines were made at experimental scale (9 kg by experimental unit) from Arinarnoa, Marselan and Tannat Vitis vinifera grape cultivars by traditional maceration, and by techniques aimed to increase the wine content in skin derived tannin: addition of extraction enzymes, addition at vatting of grape-skin enological tannins, or by extended maceration, known to increase the seed derived tannin contents of wines.