Sustainablity of vineyards in the Priorat region (NE Spain)

Unlike table wines, Madeira Wine (MW,17-22% ABV) benefits from a long aging period under thermo-oxidative aging conditions, during which it gains its unique and complex flavour. A broad study is ongoing and aims to assess if the differences in the storage conditions impact significantly the evolution of MWs during canteiro aging. Considering that polyphenols have a significant role in the wine aging, we intended to appraise if there are significant differences in the evolution trends of polyphenols of MWs aging in different cellars under canteiro. Different MWs were aged into brand-new oak casks in two different wine cellars, one in Funchal (B) and other in Caniçal (Z). Temperature and humidity data were sensor recorded. RP-HPLC-DAD was used to perform the identification and quantification of polyphenols [1]. CIELab parameters were also assessed, using an UV-Vis spectrophotometer.

In the Cognac region in France, Ugni blanc is the most planted grape variety (98% of the 80 500 ha). This vine region is in expansion due to the success of the associated well-known brandy and the need of high grape yield to guarrantee the production of base wine for distillation. About 2 to 3000 ha are newly planted each year and rootstocks are one powerfull tool for vineyard adaptation to soil or climate change. As rootstocks ensure water and mineral nutrient supplies to the scion, it is important to better understand their effect on berry compostionnal parameters such as sugars and nitrogen compounds, which are the main precursors for fermentary aroma metabolites, the latter being quality markers for Cognac after distillation.

The presentation will approach the understanding of wine consumers´ perception based on the experiential model suggested by Warell (2008). In this framework, wine consumption gives rise to a
variety of experiences related to the perception, understanding, and judgment of the product. These
multidimensional facets of the drinking experience can be explored by measuring affective, cognitive,
and sensory responses of consumers, which are shown to be stable regardless of the social context.

Galicia is situated in the NW of the Iberian Peninsula, just north of Portugal and so sharing a mild, maritime climate, certain vine species and a number of long-standing viticultural traditions. In Galicia about 18,000 has are dedicated to wine growing, of which roughly half (46%) correspond to the 6 DOs in the area.

The use of toasted vine-shoots (SEGs) as an enological tool is a new practice that seeks to improve wines, differentiating them and encouraging sustainable wine production. The micro-oxygenation (MOX) technique is normally combined with alternative oak products with the aim to simulate the oxygen transmission rate that takes place during the traditional barrel aging. Such new use for SEGs implies a reduction in color due to the absorption by the wood of the responsible compounds, therefore, given the known effect that MOX has shown to have on the modification of wine color, its use together with the SEGs could result in an interesting implementation with the aim to obtain final wines with more stable color over time.