Ripening of Mencía grape cultivar in different edaphoclimatic situations (D.O. Ribeira Sacra, Spain)

The frequency of bushfires close to wine regions around the world has increased in the last two decades. The economic losses incurred when grapes and wines are discarded due to ‘smoke taint’ are substantial (i.e., hundreds of millions of dollars). Efforts to mitigate and ameliorate smoke taint are therefore crucial. Chardonnay, rosé and cabernet sauvignon wines made from grapes exposed to smoke during the 2020 wildfires in eastern Australia were subjected to various amelioration techniques: the addition of activated carbons, molecularly imprinted polymers (mips), and a proprietary resin (either directly, or following membrane filtration); spinning cone column (scc) distillation; and finally, transformation into vinegar.

Organic wines, although resulting from a production method based on the non-use of synthetic phytosanitary products, are not always free of residues. These residues can result from cross-contamination during production in the field or in the cellar, during the production or aging of the wine. In recent years, with the improvement of analysis techniques, a molecule, phosphonic acid, the main metabolite of fosetyl-al (banned in organic farming) is regularly quantified in organic wines and its origin is not clearly identified.

Over the last years, due to climate change, several red wines, such as the Sangiovese wines, have been often subjected to loss of clarity due to the formation of deposits of fine needle-shaped crystals. This phenomenon turned out to be due to an excess of quercetin (Q) and its glycosides (Q-Gs) in wines. These compounds are synthesized to a large extent when grapes are excessively exposed to UVB radiations in vineyards[1]. Unfortunately, it is not easy to predict the degree of Q precipitation because its solubility strongly depends on the wine and matrix composition[2].

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has rapidly gained an international reputation for style and quality. The extent to which this can be attributed to the climate, soils or vineyard management is at present unclear. However, the young alluvial soils of the Wairau Plains are considered to play an important role in determining this unique wine style. Marked changes in soil texture occur on the Wairau Plains over short distances.

The introduction into the Italian wine supply chain of the latest generation of fungi-resistant grapevine varieties, endowed with a greater or lesser strong resistance to downy and powdery mildews, represents a valid tool of making viticulture more sustainable, particularly in northern regions of the peninsula, where climatic conditions accentuate the pressure of fungal diseases. However, the affirmation of resistant varieties is a function of their agronomic value, as well as of their oenological and sensorial value. The purpose of this study was to evaluate in detail the sensory potential of the new resistant varieties, in order to understand their real possibility of inclusion in the modern global enological context.