Soils and plant material in prestigious Bordeaux vineyards impacts on yield and quality

The mechanization of pruning and harvesting in vineyards has increased the risk of soil compaction. To reclaim soil properties or avoid this degradation process, it is crucial to properly manage the soil organic matter, and the application of compost derived from the vines themselves is a strategy to achieve this. The objective of this study was to evaluate the properties of soil treated with different doses of compost applied both on the vine row and the inter rows of a Vitis vinifera crop.

In the current scenario of climatic variability, even though the vine (Vitis vinifera) is a species generally considered very fertile, the process of bud differentiation is particularly influenced by the weather trend not only of the current year but also of the previous one.

This study presents an investigation based on sensory analysis data of Spanish wines with geographical indications collected over a three-year period. Sensory analysis plays a crucial role in assessing the quality, characteristics, and perception of wines. The trained tasting panel at Dolmar Laboratory, accredited for objective sensory evaluation of wines since 2016, has been tasting over 5000 wines. However, it is since 2021, when a computer application for tastings was developed, that the digitalization of data allows for detailed statistical analysis of the results.

Cyprus is one of the very few phyloxera-free areas worldwide where the vast majority of vines are own-rooted and non-irrigated. ‘Xynisteri’ is a predominant indigenous cultivar, particularly amenable to extreme conditions such as drought and hot climate, thus rendering it appropriate for marginal soils and adverse climatic conditions. In the current work, a comparative study between irrigated (irrigation initiated at BBCH 71) and non-irrigated vines was conducted.

Climate change is leading to an increase in average temperature and in the severity and occurrence of heatwaves, and is already disrupting grapevine phenology. In Australia, with the evolution of the weather of grape growing regions that are already warm and hot, berry composition including flavonoids, for which biosynthesis depends on bunch microclimate, are expected to be impacted [1]. These compounds, such as anthocyanins and tannins, contribute substantially to grape and wine quality. The goal of this research was to determine how flavonoid extraction is impacted when bunches are exposed to high (>35 °C) and extreme high (>45 °C) temperatures during berry development and maturity.