On the stability of spectral features of four vine varieties in Brazil, Chile and France

In recent decades, sustainability has risen to prominence across various industries, including agriculture, spurred by initiatives such as the new common agricultural policy and the farm to fork strategy within the European Union. Among agricultural activities, viticulture stands as a crucial player in sustainability, intertwining environmental, social, and economic dimensions, as exemplified by the OIV general principles of sustainable viticulture. Italy, one of the main players in the global wine market, has long been making efforts towards the introduction of sustainability-oriented practices and certifications.

Studies on model plants have shown that temporary soil flooding exposes roots to a significant hypoxic stress resulting in metabolic re-programming, accumulation of toxic metabolites and hormonal imbalance. To date, physiological and transcriptional responses to flooding in grapevine are poorly characterized. To fill this gap, we aimed to gain insights into the transcriptional and metabolic changes induced by flooding on grapevine roots (K5BB rootstocks), on which cv Sauvignon blanc (Vitis vinifera L.) plants were grafted.

During red wine ageing or conservation, color and taste change and astringency tends to reduce. These changes result from reactions of flavan-3-ols and/or anthocyanins among which condensation reactions with acetaldehyde are particularly important. The full characterization of these reactions has not been fully achieved because of difficulties in extracting and separating the newly formed compounds directly from wine. Model solutions mimicking food products constitute a simplified medium for their exploration, allowing the detection of the newly formed compounds, their isolation, and their structure elucidation.

Esca complex is a disease affecting grapevine trunks, characterized by the colonization of the wood by xylem-residing fungi (Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaeoacremonium minimum and Fomitiporia mediterranea), and posing significant risks to vineyard longevity since no efficient treatment is available. Despite its prevalence, the mechanisms beyond symptomatic manifestations like interveinal chlorosis and leaf necrosis remain unclear. Preliminary findings indicated a more pronounced metabolic reprogramming in fruits compared to vegetative organs and a putative impact on wine quality by using fruits from symptomatic grapevines.

Stilbenes, a kind of non-flavonoid phenolic compounds, have been reported to be responsible for various beneficial effects. Their biological properties include antibacterial and antifungal effects, as well as cardioprotective, neuroprotective and anticancer actions (Guerrero et al. 2009).Several strategies can be used to increase stilbene content in grapes and one of them could be the use of elicitors such as methyl jasmonate. The use of this elicitor has been proven to be efficient in the production of secondary metabolites which increases the quality of wines, but its use also has some drawbacks such as its low water solubility, high volatility, and its expensive cost (Gil-Muñoz et al. 2021).