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

Conflicting messages about the consumption of alcoholic beverages – including wine – continue to dominate the media, causing increasing uncertainty among consumers and health professionals.

Industry and regulatory agencies have developed regulations to ensure authenticity and compliance with wine composition limits. However, this can be truncated by the absence of simple and robust analytical methodologies, uninfluenced by the environment, different oenological techniques and cultural practices. Genetic fingerprinting is the most powerful tool for unequivocal varietal identification; it is not affected by the environment or agronomic practices; however, its usefulness in musts and wines has been controversial and there is currently no routine certification of varietal origin based on DNA analysis.

Nel 2009 sono stati prelevati e analizzati mediante XRF (X-ray fluorescence) campioni di suolo, in vigneti sperimentali siti nelle province di Vicenza e di Ancona. Sono stati inoltre determinati in 2 campioni di mosto e 2 di vino delle varietà Verdicchio e Refosco dal peduncolo rosso, ed in 2 di uva Refosco dal peduncolo rosso, gli elementi in traccia mediante ICP-MS (Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry).

This study aims at evaluating the effects of different refermentation methods (Martinotti/Charmat vs. Classic) on the chemical composition, aroma profile and sensory characteristics of Ribolla Gialla sparkling wines; furthermore, certain winemaking practices (skin contact and use of pectolytic enzymes) were investigated considering the extraction of varietal aromas and aroma precursors. METHODS: Sparkling wines were produced at pilot-plant scale. Concerning refermentation methods, traditional Martinotti (MB – 30 days length), extended Martinotti (ML) with 4 months of aging on lees and Classic method (CL) with 11 months of aging on lees were compared; in a second trial, skin contact (MM), enzyme addition on must also subjected to maceration (ME), and enzyme addition on base wine (VE) were evaluated. All experimental trials were performed in triplicate. Basic chemical composition, varietal (terpenes and C13-norisoprenoids in free and bound form) and non-varietal aroma compounds were evaluated by LLE-GCMS analysis; finally, sensory analysis was also performed, by descriptive testing.

Plus de la moitié du vignoble suisse (14’000 ha) est situé sur des coteaux en forte pente (> 30%). Dans certains vignobles, la pente naturelle du terrain a été réduite par la construction de terrasses soutenues par des murs.