Climate effect on ripening process in Vitis vinifera, L. cv. Cencibel

Drought poses a challenge to future viticulture, exacerbated by climate change, which increases the frequency and severity of water shortages.

Irrigation of vineyards is a matter of controversial arguments at areas of high quality wine production. Besides, the effects of the water in the plant are closer related to the water availability than to the irrigation regime.

Context and purpose of the study – The dormant and growing season temperatures in California USA have been increasing with more clear sky days. A consequence increasing temperatures and clear sky days is water deficit conditions. Viticulturists must determine appropriate balances of canopy management and irrigation budgeting to produce suitable yields without compromising berry chemistry. In response, a study designed to test the interactive effects of leaf removal timing and applied water amounts on Cabernet Sauvignon/110R in Napa Valley, CA.

With growing consumer interest in products without chemical additives, limiting the use of sulfites is a priority for the wine industry. Bioprotection is a biological alternative that avoids or reduces the risks of alterations that have a negative impact on the organoleptic quality of wines and, ultimately, on their acceptability to consumers. bioprotection can also provide a response to the risks of microbiological deviations, which are increased both by climate change and by the organization of harvesting operations, which increasingly include the use of multi-bins filled at the vine, exposing the harvest to sometimes high temperatures for longer periods of time.

Context and purpose. The vine is a holobiont, where the plant interacts positively, negatively, and neutrally with microbes that together form the vine’s microbiome.