Characterization of varieties named ‘Caiño’ cultivated from Northwest of Spain

Due to the current challenging nature of the global wine market, and recent growth in number and strength of competitors from non-traditional wine producing countries, European wine producers are focussing on the potential to develop a competitive advantage through the concept of terroir.

Understanding the water-use responses of grapevines to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations is mandatory when assessing the impact of climate change on viticulture as it is a critical part of the adaptation process.

In the context of climate change, excessive bitterness and astringency in wines have become increasingly prevalent. While variety selection and viticultural practices offer long-term solutions, they require considerable time before yielding practical results. In contrast, fining remains an accessible and immediate tool for winemakers.

Besides the increase in global mean temperature the second main challenge of a changing climate is the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in relation to physiology and yield performance of grapevines. The benefits of increasing CO2 levels under greenhouse environment or open field studies have been well investigated for various annual crops. Research under free carbon dioxide enrichment on field-grown perennial plants such as grapevines is limited to a few studies. Further, chamber and greenhouse experiments have been conducted mostly on potted vines under eCO2 conditions.

Hairy roots (HRs) are a symptom of a natural genetic modification by the soil-borne phytopathogen Rhizobium rhizogenes.