Vulnerability of vineyard soils to compaction: the case study of DOC Piave (Veneto region, Italy)

Balsamic vinegars of Modena (Italy), namely Aceto Balsamico di Modena PGI (AB PGI) and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO (ABT PDO) are among the most important geographical indication products for Italy. ABT PDO, despite its very limited production, is recognized as one of the most representative Italian artisan gastronomic products, and it is known and commercialized all around the world. The economic value of ABT PDO (“affinato” and “extra-vecchio” types, depending on the aging), prepared following a traditional way and aged for many years in a set of barrels (transferring a certain amount of vinegar from one cask to another in a decreasing “topping up” procedure) is great, when compared to AB industrially prepared with caramel. AB PGI is certainly the most widespread industrial-type vinegar in the world, deriving from low-temperature condensed grape must (or cooked must) mixed with wine vinegar, obtaining balsamic vinegars with a caramel-like taste. Depending on its economic value, ABT PDO is often object of fraud, requiring to fight counterfeit products and imitations.

The Registered Appellation of Origin Mark (RAOM) « Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda » is one of the oldest and more important zone in wine history and production. «Albarizas» unit (white calcareous marls with sea-fossils) is the most representative geological material of the RAOM (75%) and even more in the central-NW area of the RAOM, known as «Jerez Superior» area (Superior Quality Sherry Area). « Albarizas » form undulated hillocks (3-10% slope) and hills (>10% slope), the litologic unit has E-W and S-W direction, and Regosols and Leptosols are the principal soils.

Over the last decade, the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the winemaking process has been re-assessed and accepted by winemakers. These yeasts can be used to achieve specific objectives such as lowering the ethanol content, preventing wine spoilage and increasing the production of specific aroma compounds. Since these species are unable to complete alcoholic fermentation, strategies of co- and sequential inoculation of non-Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been developed. However, when mixed starter cultures are used, several parameters (e.g. strain yeast, inoculation timing and nutrient competitions) impact the growth of the individual yeasts, the fermentation kinetics and the metabolites/aroma production. In particular, competition for nitrogen compounds could have a major impact, potentially leading to sluggish fermentation when the yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) availability is low. Moreover, many aroma compounds produced by the yeasts are directly produced and influenced by nitrogen metabolism such as higher alcohols, acetate esters and ethyl esters which participate in the organoleptic complexity of wine.

An in-depth knowledge on the conditions that trigger Botrytis disease and the microbial community associated with the susceptibility/resistance to it could led to the anticipation and response to the Botrytis emergence and severity. Therefore, the present study pretends to establish links between biotic and abiotic factors and the presence/abundance of B. cinerea.

Galicia est une région située dans le Nord-Ouest de l’Espagne avec une longe tradition de culture de la vigne. A jour d’oui la vigne occupe en Galicia presque 28.500 ha, desquelles 8.100 correspondent aux 5 zones ayant droit à l’appellation DO (« Denominación de Origen ») équivalent aux AOC françaises.