Macrowine 2021
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

Related articles…

Bioclimatic shifts and land use options for Viticulture in Portugal

Land use, plays a relevant role in the climatic system. It endows means for agriculture practices thus contributing to the food supply. Since climate and land are closely intertwined through multiple interface processes, climate change may lead to significant impacts in land use. In this study, 1-km observational gridded datasets are used to assess changes in the Köppen–Geiger and Worldwide Bioclimatic (WBCS)

Soil, vine, climate change – what is observed – what is expected

To evaluate the current and future impact of climate change on Viticulture requires an integrated view on a complex interacting system within the soil-plant-atmospheric continuum under continuous change. Aside of the globally observed increase in temperature in basically all viticulture regions for at least four decades, we observe several clear trends at the regional level in the ratio of precipitation to potential evapotranspiration. Additionally the recently published 6th assessment report of the IPCC (The physical science basis) shows case-dependent further expected shifts in climate patterns which will have substantial impacts on the way we will conduct viticulture in the decades to come.
Looking beyond climate developments, we observe rising temperatures in the upper soil layers which will have an impact on the distribution of microbial populations, the decay rate of organic matter or the storage capacity for carbon, thus affecting the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and the viscosity of water in the soil-plant pathway, altering the transport of water. If the upper soil layers dry out faster due to less rainfall and/or increased evapotranspiration driven by higher temperatures, the spectral reflection properties of bare soil change and the transport of latent heat into the fruiting zone is increased putting a higher temperature load on the fruit. Interactions between micro-organisms in the rhizosphere and the grapevine root system are poorly understood but respond to environmental factors (such as increased soil temperatures) and the plant material (rootstock for instance), respectively the cultivation system (for example bio-organic versus conventional). This adds to an extremely complex system to manage in terms of increased resilience, adaptation to and even mitigation of climate change. Nevertheless, taken as a whole, effects on the individual expressions of wines with a given origin, seem highly likely to become more apparent.

Downscaling of remote sensing time series: thermal zone classification approach in Gironde region

In viticulture, the challenges of local climate modelling are multiple: taking into account the local environment, fine temporal and spatial scales, reliable time series of climate data, ease of implementation and reproducibility of the method. At the local scale, recent studies have demonstrated the contribution of spatialization methods for ground-based climate observation data considering topographic factors such as altitude, slope, aspect, and geographic coordinates (Le Roux et al, 2017; De Rességuier et al, 2020). However, these studies have shown questions in terms of the reproducibility and sustainability of this type of climate study. In this context, we evaluated the potential of MODIS thermal satellite images validated with ground-based climate data (Morin et al, 2020). Previous studies have been encouraging, but questions remain to be explored at the regional scale, particularly in the dynamics of the massive use of bioclimatic indices to classify the climate of wine regions. The results at the local scale were encouraging, but this approach was tested in the current study at the regional scale. Several objectives were set: 1) to evaluate the downscaling method for land surface temperature time series, 2) to identify regional thermal structure variations. We used weekly minimum and maximum surface temperature time series acquired by MODIS satellites at a spatial resolution of 1000 m and downscaled at 500 m using topographical variables. Two types of analyses were performed:

Long-term drought resilience of traditional red grapevine varieties from a semi-arid region

In recent decades, the scarcity of water resources in agriculture in certain areas has been aggravated by climate change, which has caused an increase in temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, as well as an increase in the frequency of extreme phenomena such as droughts and heat waves. Although the vine is considered a drought-tolerant specie, it has to satisfy important water requirements to complete its cycle, which coincides with the hottest and driest months. Achieving sustainable viticulture in this scenario requires high levels of efficiency in the use of water, a scarce resource whose use is expected to be severely restricted in the near future. In this regard, the use of drought-tolerant varieties that are able to maintain grape yield and quality could be an effective strategy to face this change. During three consecutive seasons (2018-2020) the behavior in rainfed regime of 13 traditional red grapevine varieties of the Spain central region was studied. These varieties were cultivated in a collection at Centro de Investigación de la Vid y el Vino de Castilla-La Mancha (IVICAM-IRIAF) located in Tomelloso (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain). Yield components (yield, mean bunch and berry weight, pruning weight), physicochemical parameters of the musts (brix degree, total acidity, pH) and some physiological parameters related with water stress during ripening period (δ13C, δ18O) were analysed. The application of different statistical techniques to the results showed the existence of significant differences between varieties in their response to stressful conditions. A few varieties highlighted for their high ability to adapt to drought, being able to maintain high yields due to their efficiency in the use of water. In addition, it was possible quantify to what extent climate can be a determinant in the δ18O of musts under severe water stress conditions.

Mesoclimate impact on Tannat in the Atlantic terroir of Uruguay

The study of climate is relevant as an element conditioning the typicity of a product, its quality and sustainability over the years. The grapevine development and growth and the final grape and wine composition are closely related to temperature, while climate components vary at mesoscale according to topography and/or proximity to large bodies of water. The objective of this work is to assess the mesoclimate of the Atlantic region of Uruguay and to determine the effect of topography and the ocean on temperature and consequently on Tannat grapevine behavior.