 IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Quality of Merlot wines produced from terraced vineyards and vineyards on alluvial plains in Vipava valley, Slovenia (pdo)

Quality of Merlot wines produced from terraced vineyards and vineyards on alluvial plains in Vipava valley, Slovenia (pdo)

Abstract

AIM: Different factors affect the style and quality of wine and one of the most important are environmental factors of vineyard location. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of Merlot wines produced from grapes growing on skeletal and dry soils of terraced vineyards and deep loamy soils of alluvial plains of Vipava Valley, a warm climate winegrowing district in Slovenia.

METHODS: Five vineyards on terraces and five on alluvium plains were chosen. Viticulture parameters such as number of buds, number of clusters and leaf area on each vine were unified in 2019 and 2020 as described in Sivilotti et al. (2020). Stem water potential (SWP) was measured during the season (Deloire and Heyns, 2011). 5 kg of grapes were sampled in triplicates at the time of grape maturity. Basic physicochemical parameters of grapes were determined before microvinification. Microvinifications were analysed after alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. Concentration of total phenols (TP), total anthocyanins (TA), high (HMWP) and low molecular weight (LMWP) proanthocyanidins (PAS) were determined spectrophotometrically as described in Rigo et al. (2000). Moreover, structural characteristics of PAs in wines, i.e. mean degree of polymerisation (mDP), percentage of galloylaton (%G) and percentage of prodelphinidins (%P) were determined by UHPLC-DAD-MS/MS as described in Lisjak et al. (2019) and in Sivilotti et al. (2020). Esters were analysed by GC-MS (Bavčar and Baša Česnik, 2011) and higher alcohols by GC-FID (Bavčar et al., 2011).

RESULTS: SWP was more negative on terraces. According to basic physico chemical parameters and darker seed colour, grapes from terraces showed advanced ripening in comparison to grapes grown in alluvial plains. Wines from terraces had higher concentrations of TA, TP, HMWP, ash and total dry extract in comparison to wines from alluvial plains and PAs reported higher %G. Furthermore, aromatic profiles of wines were also different. In general, higher concentrations of higher alcohols and lower concentrations of esters were detected in wines from terraces.

CONCLUSIONS:

The Merlot wines from grapes sampled in terraced vineyards differed in chemical composition from those from alluvial plains. In general, wines from terraces had higher polyphenol content, some quality parameters such as ash and total dry extract, structural differences of grape tannins and different profile of some aroma compounds

DOI:

Publication date: September 10, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Alenka Mihelčič

Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia ,Andreja VANZO, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia Borut VRŠČAJ, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia Paolo SIVILOTTI, University of Udine, via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy Klemen LISJAK, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Contact the author

Keywords

terraces, alluvial plains, soil, stem water potential, wine quality, polyphenols, volatile compounds

Citation

Analysis of the interaction of melatonin with glycolytic proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during alcoholic fermentation

Melatonin is a bioactive compound with antioxidant properties, that has been found in many fermented beverages, such as beer and wine [1]. Indeed, it has been shown that yeast can synthesize melatonin during alcoholic fermentation, although its role inside the cell, as well as the metabolic pathway involved in its synthesis, is still unclear [1]. Recent studies showed that during fermentation, melatonin interacts with different proteins of the glycolytic pathway in both Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeast, for instance glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase or enolase [2].

Microclimatic differences in fruit zone of vineyards on different elevations of ‘nagy-eged hill’ in eger wine region, Hungary

The Bull’s Blood of Eger (‘Egri Bikavér’) is one of the most reputed red wines in Hungary and abroad, produced in the Northeastern part of the country.

Chemical and sensory diversity of regional Cabernet-Sauvignon wines

AIM: To investigate chemical and sensory drivers of regional typicity of Cabernet Sauvignon from different geographical regions of Australia.

Comprehensive exploration of wine aroma-related compounds as promoted by alternative vinification procedures in case of Zelen (Vitis vinifera L.) grapes processing

Not only vintner’s decisions in the vineyard, but also winemaker’s choices of technology approaches in the cellar play a significant role in the final wine style and quality. Whereas traditional technologies within chosen terroir are quite well explored and thus somehow predictable, there is no proper knowledge available on possible outcomes in case of implementing novel, alternative winemaking strategies. To reveal their effects on wine aroma compounds and sensory characteristics, two alternative strategies
(cryoextraction or addition of whole grape berries during last stages of fermentation) were compared to classical Vipava valley winemaking approach as normally used for an autochthonous variety Zelen. After separate vinification and bottling, all the experimental wines were subjected to semiquantitative metabolic profiling of volatile compounds (VOCs) by means of GC/MS and were then also sensorialy evaluated by pre-trained panel.

Ten years soil diagnosis in vineyards, with particularly analysis of organic and microbial mass and measuring their evolution

Since 1996, we study the soil in viticulture, specially in the South of France. In the field, we delimit soil units and observe soil profiles and take samples to analyse its physical, mineral, organic and microbial mass composition