AOC Saint-Romain, Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune, Burgundy: analysis of a “terroir”

Global warming due to greenhouse gases (GHG) has become a serious worldwide concern.

Red Blotch disease caused by Grapevine red blotch-associated virus (GRBaV) is a severe concern to grape growers and winemakers in major grape-growing regions worldwide. One key aspect of all viruses, including Red Blotch, is their intimate association with cell components and anomalous structures following infection. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze symptomatology, vine function, fruit quality and ultrastructure of various tissues and document the relationship of ultrastructural cytopathology with the GRBaV infection in Pinot Noir and Merlot employing various microscopy techniques.

In recent years, consumer demand for products without chemical additives increased, becoming a priority for the wine sector. SO₂ is widely used for its multiple properties including antiseptics, antioxidants and antioxidasics and the strategy of bioprotection in winemaking represents now an alternative to this chemical additive. In oenology, results have highlighted the interest of bioprotection to limit the development of microorganisms like Hanseniaspora uvarum and thus reduce the doses of sulphite. Indeed, this species is considered because of its acetic acid and methyl butyl acetate production, the latter can cover the varietal character of wines.

Champagne is a well-known wine region in Northern France with distinct terroirs and three main grape varieties. As for any vineyard, wine quality is highly linked to the microbiological characteristics of the raw materials. However, Champagne grape microbiota, especially its fungal component, has yet to be fully characterized. Our study focused on describing this mycobiota, from vine to small scale model wine, for the two main Champagne grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Meunier, using complementary cultural and omics approaches.

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) the microbial bioconversion of L-malic acid into L-lactic acid, is a pivotal metabolic process that holds fundamental significance for the quality and organoleptic characteristics of some wines. Oenococcus oeni is considered to be the main player in this conversion, and it is globally used as a starter culture for mlf thanks to his capacity to tolerate the harsh wine environment.