Denial of the wine-growing landscape

In recent years, the consumption of fine wines in Brazil has increased significantly, a phenomenon that is also reflected in the expansion of production to new regions. In the brazilian southeast for example, the so-called “winter wines” are being produced, through management in two cycles, one of formation and one of production, with two prunings and one harvest per year, a technique known as double pruning, with vineyards established at altitudes close to or above 1,000 m above sea level.

ine nitrogen deficiency can negatively influence the aroma profile and ageing potential of white wines. Canopy management can alter vine microclimate, affect the nitrogen availability and influence the response of leaf senescence. Increasing the nitrogen availability to vines can increase the Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen (YAN) levels in harvested fruit and wine. Studies show that foliar nitrogen and sulphur applications at véraison, on low YAN Sauvignon blanc grapes have an effect on the level of amino acids (Jreij et al. 2009) and on S-containing compounds such as glutathione and thiols (Lacroux et al. 2008), which in turn can influence the formation of major volatiles and the aroma profile of the wine.

Stilbenes, a kind of non-flavonoid phenolic compounds, have been reported to be responsible for various beneficial effects. Their biological properties include antibacterial and antifungal effects, as well as cardioprotective, neuroprotective and anticancer actions (Guerrero et al. 2009).Several strategies can be used to increase stilbene content in grapes and one of them could be the use of elicitors such as methyl jasmonate. The use of this elicitor has been proven to be efficient in the production of secondary metabolites which increases the quality of wines, but its use also has some drawbacks such as its low water solubility, high volatility, and its expensive cost (Gil-Muñoz et al. 2021).

Introduction: Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a common process in winemaking to reduce wine acidity, maintain microbial stability and modify wine aroma. However, successful MLF is often hampered by their sluggish or stuck activity of malolactic bacteria (MLB) which may be caused by nutrient deficiency, especially when MLB are inoculated after alcoholic fermentation (Alexandre et al., 2004; Lerm et al., 2010). Identification and characterization of essential nutrients and growth factors for MLB allows for production of highly efficient nutrient supplements for MLF.

Aim: The regulation of the vegetative-reproductive balance of a vineyard is a critical aspect for the quality of grapes. Early leaf removal, generally applied before the phenological stage of flowering, is mainly used as a technique to control yield and improve grape health, aimed at increasing the quality of the wine.