Vineyard soils characterization and its influence on the grape quality of cv. Carmenère in the Maipo Valley, Chile

Il settore primario, ed in particolare quello agricolo, sta attraversando un periodo partico­larmente delicato. Sia gli aspetti della produzione che quelli della commercializzazione ven­gono infatti messi in discussione da nuovi indirizzi economici e tecnologici.

Aims: This review aims to (1) present the multiple interests of studying and depicting and climate spatial variability for vitivinicultural terroirs study; (2) explain the factors that affect climate spatial variability according to the spatial scale considered and (3) provide guidelines for climate zoning considering challenges linked to each methodology considered.

Herbicides are commonly sprayed in the vine row to prevent competition with vines for water and minerals and to keep weeds from growing into the bunch zone. Sprays are applied before budbreak and reapplied multiple times during the season to keep the undervine bare. There is growing concern about the negative effects of herbicides on humans and the environment, and weeds in New Zealand have developed resistance to herbicides. Therefore, it is imperative that we reduce our reliance on herbicides in viticulture and incorporate methods that do not engender resistance.

Vine downy mildew is one of the most frequent diseases in intensive vineyards. Bordeaux mixture (B.m.), in order to control the disease has been applied onto vineyards since the end of the 19th century. The intensive use of Cu-fungicides could influence the physiology of grapevine. It is also possible that high amounts of foliar Cu sprays trigger stress responses in vine leaves.

Non-saccharomyces yeasts gained an increased interest in winemaking during the last decades, due to their ability to produce relevant amounts of polysaccharides. Moreover, a significant release of glutathione into the wine during fermentation was also observed with these strains, as well as an improvement of color stability and wine aroma profile. Valuable results have been obtained by hanseniaspora spp. concerning the release of polysaccharides and the production of acetic esters, mainly during fermentation.