Denial of the wine-growing landscape

Trunk diseases and esca in particular, represent a major threat to the sustainability of the vineyards. The percentages of unproductive vines in a plot could vary from 4% to over 20 % depending on local conditions and vintages.

Ultrafiltration is a process that fractionates mixtures using semipermeable membranes, primarily on the basis of molecular weight. Depending on the nominal molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) specifications of the membrane, smaller molecules pass through the membrane into the ‘permeate’, while larger molecules are retained and concentrated in the ‘retentate’. This study investigated applications of ultrafiltration technology for enhanced wine quality and profitability. The key objective was to establish to what extent ultrafiltration could be used to manage phenolic compounds (associated with astringency or bitterness) and proteins (associated with haze formation) in white wine.

Three-dimensional functional-structural root architecture models, which decompose the root system architecture (RSA) into elementary developmental processes such as root emission, axial growth, branching patterns and tropism have become useful tools for (i) reconstructing in silico the spatial and temporal dynamics of root systems in a soil volume, (ii) analyzing their genotypic diversity and plasticity to the environment, and (iii) overcoming the bottleneck associated with their visualization and measurement in situ. Here, we present an original work on RSA phenotyping and modelling in grapevine. First, we developed 2D image-based analysis pipelines to quantify morphological and architectural traits in young grafts. Second, we parametrized and validated the 3D root model Archisimple on two rootstock genotypes (RGM, 1103P) grafted with V. vinifera Cabernet-Sauvignon and grown in different controlled conditions (rhizotrons, pots, tubes).

For the purpose of producing predicate wines in northern part of Croatia, grapes are traditionally left on the vine unpicked. However, grapes on the vine are exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions that affect rapid rotting and attacked by birds. To eliminate the mentioned risks, the grapes can be picked and placed in a protected space (loft, greenhouse, etc.) suitable for drying. This study presents the results of research on withering grapes of the ‘Moscato giallo’ variety in two tretment: sun drying (under covered terrace) and drying in the shade (loft). The following quality parameters were monitored: mass of grapes, sugar concentration, content of total acids, pH, content of organic acids.

The measurement of carbon isotopic discrimination in grape sugars 13 at harvest (δ C) is an integrated assessment of water status during ripening.