Vineyard management for environment valorisation

Grapes composition is a factor well known to affect wines composition and sensory expression. The goal of this study was to evaluate how grapes composition modifications linked to maturity level could affect wines aromatic expression and esters composition.

Vintage is part of « terroir ». The aim of this work is to study, through vine and berry parameters, the effect of vintage on the three major red grape varieties in Côtes du Rhône : Grenache N, Syrah N and Mourvedre N. We first characterized vintages 1997 to 2003, highlighting similar features in grape development across the different cultivars since 2001 only.

“Côtes du Rhône”, like many other controlled appellation wine, represents high stakes in the economical, social cultural and historical domains. The scenery formed by vineyards reveals these cultural values. It offers by a pleasant and appealing environment for the inhabitants and the tourists. It is also a powerful marketing tool for the winemakers.

To alter the vineyard microclimate and produce quality wine under a semi-arid climate, black geotextile inter-row mulch (M) was applied for two vintages (2016-2017). The grapes were sampled at three growing stages to conduct the untargeted metabolome and transcriptome analysis. The upregulated genes related to photosynthesis and heat shock proteins confirmed that M weakened the total light exposure and grapes suffered severe heat stress, resulting in lower sugar and higher acids at harvest. The integration of metabolome and transcriptome analysis identified the key genes responsible for the enhancements in phenylalanine, glutamine, ornithine, arginine, and C6 alcohol concentrations, and the downward trend in ε-viniferin, anthocyanins, flavonols, terpenes and norisoprenoids concentrations in M grapes.

The wine industry works to minimize pesticides and adapt to climate change. Breeding programs have developed disease-resistant grape varieties, particularly against downy and powdery mildew, to minimize pesticide applications [1]. However, their enological potential remains underexplored.