Assessment of environmental sustainability of wine growing activity in France

The reflectance spectra of vegetation carry potentially useful information that can be used to determine chemical composition and discriminate between vegetation classes. If compared with analytical methods such as conventional chemical analysis, reflectance measurement provides non-destructive, economic, near real-time data. 

For a long time, cool climate grapevine breeding has striven for early ripening cultivars to adapt to the former climate conditions.

At CREA – Centro di Ricerca di Viticoltura ed Enologia, based in Velletri (RM), an experimental vineyard including 10 downy mildew resistent/tolerant grape varieties and two susceptible varieties was set up with the principal goal to evaluate the behavoir of these varieties in term of resistance to downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola). This evaluation, together to oenological studies, are necessary to register them also in Regional Register (in Lazio region). Monitoring of behavior towards Plasmopara viticulture of resistant vines were done in 2020 and 2021 at different times (phenological stages) and until harvesting, according to an international standard code BBCH a centesimal phenological scale, based on coding system.

Rotundone, the pepper aroma compound, has been detected in wines made from a large number of grape varieties. However, given the fact that analyzed wines were sourced from different winegrowing regions and seasons, made using different winemaking techniques and at different scales, it remains difficult to assess the real variety potential to produce rotundone.

Oxidation processes constitute a main problem in winemaking. Oxidation result in color browning and varietal aroma loss, which are key attributes of wine organoleptic quality