Rare earth elements distribution in grape berries

It is often said that wine is a complex matrix and the chemical analysis of wine with the thousands of compounds detected and often measured is proof. New technologies can assist not only in separating and identifying wine compounds, but also in providing information about the sample as a whole. Information-rich techniques can offer a fingerprint of a sample (untargeted analysis), a comprehensive view of its chemical composition. Applying statistical analysis directly to the raw data can significantly reduce the number of compounds to be identified to the ones relevant to a particular scientific question. More data can equal more information, but also more noise for the subsequent statistical handling.

The presence of grape-derived heat unstable proteins can lead to haze formation in white wines [1], an instability prevented by removing these proteins by adding bentonite, a hydrated aluminum silicate that interacts electrostatically with wine proteins leading to their flocculation. Despite effective, using bentonite has several drawbacks as the costs associated with its use, the potential negative effects on wine quality, and its environmental impact, so that alternative solutions are needed.

In recent years, heightened awareness of the environmental impact has led to sustainability as a key issue for the winemaking sector.

By using HPLC-ESI-MS, 1H, 13C and 2D NMR, new addition products between catechin, epicatechin, caftaric acid and 3SH were characterized. Caftaric acid formed more rapidly adducts with 3SH than catechin and epicatechin in the absence of other nucleophiles.

The Precision Viticulture (PV) is defined “as a management system that is information and technology based, is site specific and uses one or more of the following sources of data: soils, vigour, nutrients, pests, moisture, and yield among others, for optimum profitability, sustainability, and protection of the environment” (OIV, 2018, in process). The elements mentioned in the definition are an important part of the terroir components. The terroir is a tool In Viticulture, it is the analysis and study unit, and the variability of a certain situation can be due to any difference in every element or property of each factor that constitutes it, including the management.The soil and its management are those that bring the most variability to terroir.