Phenolic and volatile profiles of south tyrolean pinot blanc musts and young wines

Wine production with non-Saccharomyces yeasts is getting larger application due to the positive impact of these yeasts on wine composition. Previous studies showed notably differences in chemical composition of Merlot wines obtained with Torulaspora delbrueckii.

Introduction increasing sustainability is essential and a societal challenge, requiring fundamental changes in behaviour and attitudes. This applies to both producers and consumers. For the wine industry in particular, such a change is a major challenge. An eip-agri research project is evaluating the introduction of a returnable glass system in the german wine industry as a key solution for increasing sustainability. Given the need for change associated with a returnable system, the project is theoretically grounded in systems innovation, as this approach provides solutions for complex, transformative change.

The wine sector is of great relevance and tradition in Mediterranean countries, however, it may be most susceptible to climate change. In recent years, wine production is facing changes worldwide, both at environmental as well as commercial levels, due to global warming and the shift in consumers’ preferences. Wine growers and wine makers are in search of solutions that allow to face these new challenges. One of the most promising initiatives in the long term is the introduction of new plant materials, specifically intraspecific hybridizations between premium varieties that may improve traditional germplasm in its adaptation to climate change. These inter-varietal crosses have the potential to generate quality wines, whilst maintaining the regional typicity, and constitute an attractive alternative for the consumer due to their sensory attributes. In this study, we have evaluated wines from 29 intraspecific Garnacha x Tempranillo hybrids in two different locations, with the aim to assess their oenological potential and sensory attributes. Thirteen of the selections were white and 16 were red. Microvinifications were conducted with two or three replications depending on grape availability. Conventional oenological parameters were determined for all wines. The sensory evaluation and hedonic scores were given by five experts. Red selections obtained higher quality scores than white ones. Among the white selections with higher quality scores, GT-41 Varea and GT-159 Varea outstand, due to their high total acidity and high malic acid content. Regarding red selections, GT-57 Varea and GT-57 UR were perceived as higher in quality, highlighted for their moderate alcoholic and high anthocyanin content. Our results indicate that intraspecific hybridization may be a powerful tool for adapting traditional cultivars to climate change in Rioja.

Just over 150 years ago, phylloxera, daktulosphaera vitifoliae, was introduced to europe, and particularly france, from north america via imports of american vitis plants. This aphid, with its complex biology and life cycle, has spread rapidly to most vineyards, causing rapid and lethal decline of v. Vinifera vines due to the primary and secondary damage it causes to the roots. In response to this pest, and given the economic importance of the french wine sector, professional representatives organised into ‘agricultural societies’, scientists and public authorities rallied together to identify the exact causes, seek solutions and try to stem the serious socio-economic crisis that ensued.

The chemical composition of wines depends on series of variables such as the type of grape, edaphoclimatic conditions, and viticulture and winemaking practices employed during production. Metallic elements play a significant role during winemaking (e.g. as catalysts of oxidation reactions) and have been previously employed for the classification of wines according to provenance. In this work, we focused on the analysis of metallic elements (K, Na, Ca, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Cr, Al, Pb, Cd, Hg, Se, Co, Sn and As) in 145 Chilean wine samples (102 reds and 43 white wines), of seven grape varieties, and five of the major wine producing regions in Chile.