 IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Macrowine 9 Macrowine 2021 9 Grapevine diversity and viticultural practices for sustainable grape growing 9 Effect of grape harvest time on the metabolomic profile of ribolla gialla monovarietal sparkling wines

Effect of grape harvest time on the metabolomic profile of ribolla gialla monovarietal sparkling wines

Abstract

AIM: The timing of grape harvest is crucial factor to be considered in the winemaking process, as delayed harvest increases the content of varietal aromas, esters, aldehydes, and alcohols, while concentration of green odor related compounds decreases [1,2]. In order to target optimal grape ripeness and maximize positive attributes of Ribolla Gialla sparkling wine, an experiment with three different harvest dates was established to determine whether an extended harvest might lead to an increase of important odor-impact compounds, and possibly improve wine sensory profile.

METHODS: The harvest timing trial was examined across three consecutive seasons in Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Italy, where the first harvest was set when a minimum compromise was reached between the accumulation of sugars and the level of titratable acidity of the grapes. The second and third harvests were separated by a maximum of seven days, depending on meteorological conditions. In addition to sensory evaluation, a multitargeted metabolomics approach was applied for chemical characterization of wine samples, focusing on volatile compounds, lipid substances, and aromatic amino acid metabolites.

RESULTS: As far as the composition in volatile compounds is concerned, the results have shown a significant advantage in the transition from first to the second harvest time, which resulted in enhanced production of esters, while in certain cases, the additional third harvest caused the increase of acetic acid and other volatile fatty acids. The lipid composition was not affected by the harvest time; however, the lipid content varied depending on the seasonal factor. Concerning tryptophan metabolites, it has been clearly shown that the extension of harvest date was not necessarily correlated with the formation of untypical aging substances that could compromise the quality of sparkling wines. Lastly, the sensory analysis revealed that the highest scores for preference were assigned to the wines from the second harvest. These samples were associated with ‘floral’ and ‘tropical’ descriptors, which appeared to be in accordance with the chemical analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The presented results indicate significant and coherent modulations of wine aroma profile in relation to grape harvest date. Therefore, this study could represent a great practical feedback for winegrowers, in order to determine the optimal harvest time.

DOI:

Publication date: September 2, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Domen Škrab

1 Department of Food Quality and Nutrition (DQAN), Edmund Mach Foundation, San Michele all’Adige, TN, Italy 2 Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (Di4A), University of Udine, Udine, UD, Italy,Paolo SIVILOTTI, Di4A, University of Udine, Italy Piergiorgio COMUZZO, Di4A, University of Udine, Italy Sabrina VOCE, Di4A, University of Udine, Italy Silvia CARLIN, DQAN, Edmund Mach Foundation, Italy Panagiotis ARAPITSAS, DQAN, Edmund Mach Foundation, Italy Domenico MASUERO, DQAN, Edmund Mach Foundation, Italy Urska VRHOVSEK, DQAN, Edmund Mach Foundation, Italy

Contact the author

Keywords

ribolla gialla; sparkling wine; harvest timing; volatile organic compounds; lipids; aromatic amino acid metabolites; sensory analysis

Citation

VOLATILE, PHENOLIC AND COLORIMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THREE DIFFERENT LAMBRUSCO APPELLATIONS

Lambrusco is a commercially successful sparkling red and rosé wine. With 13.06 million litres sold in 2021 was the second best-selling Italian wine after Chianti. According to National Catalogue of Vine Varieties there are thirteen Lambrusco Varieties with which to date are produced seven PDO wines. Among these, “Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce”, “Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro” and “Lambrusco di Sorbara” are the only ones that can be considered mono-varietal appellations, all located in Modena area. The PDOs contemplate the possibility of producing wines by secondary fermentation either in tank (Charmat method), or in bottle (Classico method). Sur lie is a third method commonly employed for Lambrusco, similar to the Classico method, from which differs for the absence of disgorgement.

Impact of water stress on the phenolic composition of cv. Merlot grapes, in a typical terroir of the La Mancha region (Spain)

The study was carried out in 2006 with Merlot grapes from vines grown using the trellis system, where four treatments were compared with different levels of water stress.

Historical reconquest of hillslopes by the “Vins des Abymes” after the collapse of Mont Granier in 1248 (Savoie, France)

The vineyards extending between the hillslopes of ‘Apremont’ and ‘Les Marches’ that dominate the valley of Chambéry (Savoie, French Alps) define the terroir of the ‘Vins des Abymes’.

Effect of one-year cover crop and arbuscular mycorrhiza inocululation in the microbial soil community of a vineyard

The microbial composition of the soil is an important factor to consider in viticulture, since its influence on the “terroir” and on the organoleptic properties of the wine have been demonstrated. Different agronomic techniques have the potential to modify the composition and functionality of the soil microbial community. Maintaining green covers is known to increase soil microbial diversity. The direct application of inoculum of beneficial microorganisms to the soil has also been used to increase their abundance. However, the environmental conditions of each site seem to have a determining weight in the result of these practices. In this study, we compared the effect on the microbial community of a cover crop with legumes in autumn and the inoculation of grapevines with commercial inoculum bases on Rhizophagus irregularis and Funeliformis mosseae in the previous spring. The study has been carried out in a vineyard in Binissalem, Mallorca, Spain. After applying the treatments, we will analyze the soil microbial communities using the data obtained from Illumina amplification of soil DNA from the 16S and ITS regions to analyze bacteria and fungi community, respectively. In addition, we will record the physicochemical characteristics of the soil at each sampling point. The result showed that agronomic management, in the short term, has less influence than soil characteristics on the composition of the soil microbiome. With these results, we can conclude that in a vineyard, agricultural techniques should focus on improving the characteristics of the soil to improve the biodiversity of the soil microbiota.

Deep learning based models for grapevine phenology

the phenological evolution is a crucial aspect of grapevine growth and development. Accurate detection of phenological stages can improve vineyard management, leading to better crop yield and quality traits. However, traditional methods of phenological tracking such as on-site observations are time-consuming and labour-intensive. This work proposes a scalable data-driven method to automatically detect key phenological stages of grapevines using satellite data. Our approach applies to vast areas because it solely relies on open and satellite data having global coverage without requiring any in-field data from weather stations or other sensors making the approach extensible to other areas.