Influence of organic plant treatment on the terroir of microorganisms

Vineyards harbor a myriad of microorganisms that interact with each other and with the grapevines. Some microorganisms are plant pathogens, such as the oomycete Plasmopara viticola that causes grapevine downy mildew. Others, such as plant growth promoting bacteria and disease biocontrol agents, have a positive influence on vine health. The present study aims to (1) investigate whether vine-based culture media increase the cultivability of the grapevine microbiota, in comparison to standard culture media and (2) identify and isolate bacterial taxa naturally present in grapevine leaves and significantly more abundant in plots showing low susceptibility to downy mildew.

Controlling the development of the bacterial population during the winemaking process is essential for obtaining correct wines[1]. Carbonic Maceration (CM) wines are recognised as high-quality young wines. However, due to its particularities, CM winemaking implies a higher risk of bacterial growth: lower SO2 levels, enrichment of the must in nutrients, oxygen trapped between the clusters… Therefore, wines produced by CM have slightly higher volatile acidity values than those produced by the destemming/crushing method[2].

The ‘Erbaluce‘, a grapevine cultivar from which in the Canavese (Piedmont, Italy) different types of white DOC wines are obtained, is traditionally trained on a support structure commonly known as “pergola” having three to five long “cords” which consist of three cordons and canes interlaced together.

The European geographical indication (GI) Brandy Italiano is exclusively reserved to brandy obtained in Italy from the distillation of wine from grapes grown and vinified in the national territory [1].

Nitrogen fertilisation of grapevines is known to influence not only plant development and production yield, but also yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN). This parameter is related to the growth of yeast