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

The AOC Gaillac area is divided into three main terroirs : « The left bank terraces », « The right bank coteaux » and
« The plateau Cordais ». This division is valid at a regional scale, but it suffers of a number of local-scale exceptions. This spatial variability of the pedologic-geologic characteristics at the plot scale has been derived mainly from the main late-Würmian solifluxion phase occurring at the transition between the peri-glacial climate and the Holocene temperate conditions (13,000-10,000 yrs BP).

The study was performed in the summer of 2007, the point of confluence of a rather atypical vintage year in the area with abnormally low temperatures after a very humid spring

Moderate wine consumption may impact several human health aspects, among others as a result of phenolic compounds present in wine and their bioactive properties. The aim of this study was to determine whether six weeks of daily, moderate Teran red wine consumption affects the levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol – HDL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol – LDL, and triglycerides. Sixty-eight healthy adults (46 women and 22 men) aged 25-64 years voluntarily agreed to participate in the study.

Tempranillo Tinto (TT) is the third-most planted red wine variety in the world, and it is mostly grown in the Iberian Peninsula. Spontaneous somatic variation appearing during vegetative propagation can be exploited to improve elite varieties as Tempranillo Tinto, including the selection of new phenotypes enhancing berry quality. We described previously that a somatic variant of TT with darker fruit color, the clone VN21, exhibits increased extractability of polyphenols during the winemaking process. To unravel the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon, we performed whole-genome resequencing to compare VN21 to other TT clones, revealing a 10 Mb deletion in chromosome 11 that likely affected only the L1 meristem cell layer of VN21 and tissues derived from it, such as external cell layers of berry skin.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are responsible for the flavor and aroma of a wine. The sensory qualities of the wines depend not only on grape intrinsic characteristics, but also on extrinsic factors including the soil composition. Previous studies have shown that the application of pyrogenic carbon (biochar) can lead to a change in soil parameters. For that reason, one of the goals of the ERDF funded project «WoodUp» is the characterization and reutilization of the locally produced biochar for agricultural purposes.