Impact of cover crop in vineyard on the musts volatile profile of Vitis vinifera L. Cv Syrah

Grapevine varieties from South-America, commonly known as criollas, originated because of the natural crossbreeding of grapevine varieties brought by the Spaniards. The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of some varieties to produce sparkling wines considering the effect of lees contact time. The following varieties were used: Moscatel Rosado, Criolla Chica, Pedro Gimenez, Blanca Oval, Canelón, and the European variety Chardonnay (control), planted in the ampelographic collection of EEA Mendoza INTA (Argentina). Pilot-scale vinifications were carried out to obtain the base wines, in 20 L glass containers. The second fermentation was performed through the traditional method.

Extraction of anthocyanins and tannins have been studied for two grape varieties, Carignan and Grenache, two maturation levels and two vintages, in model solutions and in wines, using UHPLC-MS/MS in the MRM mode  and HPSEC.

In temperate climates, such as in the North of Spain, the use of irrigation in the vineyard has not been required, due to the usual rainfall from June to August. In some large vineyards, irrigation management has been carried out, based on occasional support irrigation, or for the application of nutrients (fertigation). Currently it is necessary to implement decision support models to manage irrigation water in real time and avoid misuse of a scarce resource. Moreover, quality standards must be achieved, as in the previous rainfed viticulture.

Environmental awareness is globally rising among scientific community, politicians and general public. Biodiversity conservation is becoming a concern for farmers

Grape stalks are a byproduct of the winemaking process and represent a valuable and inexpensive source of bioactive compounds. While their direct use in whole bunch fermentation is known, the majority of grape stalks are discarded, posing environmental and economic challenges.