Rootstocks of prestigious Bordeaux vineyards: implications on quality and yield

Eugenol, widely spread in various plants notably cloves, basil and bay, was identified too in wines from hybrid grapes without contact with oak wood. This aromatic molecule presents a strong spicy note of clove and also antifongic properties. Eugenol was described as an endogenous compound of Baco blanc, from the grapes to the spirits of Armagnac area. Moreover, this compound is a chemical marker of Baco blanc products quality.
Influences of harvest time and different winemaking processes (settling, use of enzymatic preparations, lees content and stock time before distillation) on Baco blanc wine eugenol contents were explored using a two-levels full factorial Design of Experiments (DoEs).

Grape stalks are a byproduct of the winemaking process and represent a valuable and inexpensive source of bioactive compounds. While their direct use in whole bunch fermentation is known, the majority of grape stalks are discarded, posing environmental and economic challenges.

Red wines constitute the majority of the wines produced in Bordeaux. All along the winemaking process, many microorganisms may develop in wine. A lot of them are useful but a common defect found in wine is linked to the development of Brettanomyces bruxellensis, a yeast that produces volatile phenols. These molecules are responsible for an unwanted sensorial defect described as similar to “horse sweat”, “burnt plastic” or “leather”. It has been shown that while some wines are very permissive and easily contaminated, others are pretty resistant to Brettanomyces development. However, common parameters such as pH, alcohol or sugars composition cannot fully explain the differences observed in wine permissiveness.

Conflicting messages about the consumption of alcoholic beverages – including wine – continue to dominate the media, causing increasing uncertainty among consumers and health professionals.

Wine grapes exposed to wildfire smoke have resulted in wines with burnt and ashy sensory characteristics¹, that are undesirable qualities in wine. In extreme wildfire events, this can lead to total loss of grape crop. Currently there are no effective solutions in the market to prevent the uptake of smoke compounds into grapes. In this study, previously developed innovative film coatings were tested to analyze their effectiveness in reducing smoke phenol absorption². Four different cellulose nanofiber-based film types were investigated.