Sustainablity of vineyards in the Priorat region (NE Spain)

Recently, foliar treatments with mineral-based compounds have shown positive effects on grapevine production by protecting grape from thermal excesses and reducing the decoupling between technological and phenolic maturity caused by climate change. Unraveling the effect of mineral particle applications on grape-associated microbes is pivotal for successful wine processing, due to the influence of the microbiota on wine composition and stability. To our knowledge, this is the first work that comprehensively studied the effects of kaolin and chabasite-rich zeolitites treatments on grape-related microorganisms (by real-time PCR quantification of total fungi, Hanseniospora uvarum, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, plant-associated bacteria and lactic acid bacteria), the expression of genes related to the flavonoid biosynthesis (PAL1, CHS1, F3H2, DFR, LDOX, UFGT, MYBA1, GST4, FLS4 genes) and the berry composition (°Brix, pH, acidity and anthocyanin concentrations) in cv. Sangiovese during ripening in two growing seasons (2019 and 2020).

Meta-analysis (MA) is a method that allows statistical synthesis of the results of several similar individual studies (Figure 1). This term was introduced by Glass in 1976 as a useful tool for the scientific community to pool and summarise the enormous amount of information collected in the literature.

Tannin and polysaccharide concentration and composition is important in defining the texture of red wines, but can vary due to factors such as cultivar, region, grape ripeness, viticultural practices and winemaking techniques. However, the concentration and composition of these macromolecules is dependent not only on grape tannin and polysaccharide concentration and composition, but also their extractability and, in the case of polysaccharides, their formation by yeast. Through studies into the influence of grape maturity, winemaking and sensory impacts of red grape polysaccharides, seed and skin tannins, recent research in our laboratory has shown that the processes involved in the extraction of these macromolecules from grapes and their retention in wine are very complex.

From fruit set to ripening, the grape berry mesocarp experiences a wide range of dynamic physical, physiological, and biochemical changes, such as mesocarp cell death (MCD) and hydraulic isolation. The premature occurrence of such events is a characteristic of the Niagara Rosada (NR) variety, utilised as table grapes and winemaking. In our opinion, the onset of ripening would not cause MCD, but a down-regulation of respiratory enzymes during the early loss of cell viability, while maintaining membrane integrity. For this, we investigated three distinct developmental stages (green (E-L33), veraison (E-L35), and ripe (E-L39)) of NR berries by label-free proteomics, enzymatic respiratory activity and outer mesocarp imaging. Cell wall-modifying proteins were found to accumulate differently throughout ripening, while cytoplasmic membranes continue intact.

The timing of grape harvest is crucial factor to be considered in the winemaking process, as delayed harvest increases the content of varietal aromas, esters, aldehydes