Caratterizzazione varietale della CV. Vranac del Montenegro: primi risultati

The purpose of the study was to monitor berry development as a function of site, vine water status and climate in order to improve our understanding of the role played by climate change on secondary metabolites relevant to wine quality.

The analysis of the distribution of natural plant populations allows an ecological characterization of cultivated environments in thermal, water and trophic terms; it guides the choice or selection of plants (or grape varieties) to cultivate (Astruc et al ., 1984, 1987; Delpoux, 1971; Jacquinet and Astruc, 1979). This approach has given good results in areas where the topography is the determining factor in the ecological differentiation of the terroirs.

Aims: The aims of the present study were to (1) evaluate the water dynamics of Touriga-Nacional grapevines trained to spur pruned cordon and Guyot systems and (2) assess the effect of variable water availability in a commercial vineyard located in the Demarcated Douro Region (DDR), Portugal.

This study showed that Botrytis cinerea could degrade the phenolic compounds by its enzymatic activity. It led to a diminution of skin’s anthocyanins from 20 % to 50 % and an increase level up to 40 % of individual proanthocyanins, 30 % of the %G and 25% of the %P.

Astringency is an important red wine quality attribute, which can be measured both chemically and sensorially. The use of tannin activity shows potential as a valuable chemical measurement in understanding red wine mouthfeel properties such as astringency and bitterness, which is also affected by tannin structural factors, in addition to matrix effects. Tannin activity is defined as the enthalpy of interaction between tannins and a hydrophobic surface. Studies involving tannin activity have been performed since the early 2010’s, but chemosensory studies used to evaluate how structure-activity relationships change across multiple, consecutive vintages are limited. The aim of this study is to investigate how tannin activity may be linked to red wine mouthfeel, and how all these variables may change according to wine age.