Effect of vine nitrogen status on grape and wine quality: Terroir study in the Vaud vineyard (Switzerland)

The complexity of the wine matrix makes the monitoring of the winemaking process crucial. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) along with chemometrics is considered an effective analytical tool combining good accuracy, robustness, high sample throughput, and “green character”. Portable and non-portable FTIR devices are already used by the wine industry for routine analysis. However, the analytical calibrations need to be enriched, and some others are still waiting to be thoroughly developed.

Global challenges, including adaptation to climate change, decrease of the environmental impacts and maintenance of the economical sustainability shape the future of viticulture.

Throughout the growing season, grapevine frequently encounters environmental challenges associated with heat and light radiation stress, especially during the ripening stage, thereby constraining the yield and quality of berries. MYB24 has been previously proposed to control light responses during late fruit ripening stages, and it has been found to require the co-factor MYC2. We have generated transcriptomic data from grapevine leaves transiently co-transformed with MYB24 and MYC2. Differential expression analysis revealed 179 up-regulated genes (URGs). Considering tissue specificity, where MYB24 is specifically and highly expressed in flowers and late-ripening berries, the expression of these URGs was explored using a previously published Berry Development Atlas gathering berry development data of cv. ‘Pinot Noir’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ in different vintages.

Heat and drought episodes during the growing season are becoming more frequent and more severe in many of the world’s grape‐growing regions

The available plant diversity is maintained in global genetic collections and germplasm banks. One of the main objectives of the study of the genetic material of vine still conducting research to characterize the genotypes and the creation of new varieties. The main ampelographic collection of the country, the largest in the Balkans, is located at the Athens Vine Institute in Lykovrisi, Attica, in an area of 70 acres. It contains more than 800 varieties, most of which are indigenous. The Institute is conducting research on the genetic improvement of native varieties and the creation new winemaking and table grape varieties of high productivity, grape quality, resistance to fungal diseases and their adaptability to stresses using the hybridization method using European high-quality varieties.