A GIS Analysis of New Zealand Terroir

The classical pharmacological model assumes that the effect of a drug is proportional to the fraction of receptors occupied by the drug. In the simplest circumstances, the relationship between dose of a drug and response, when plotted on a logarithmic scale for drug concentration, is described by a sigmoidal curve. It presumes the existence of a threshold dose, below which no biological effect appears, and a maximal response in the form of a plateau, when a further increase in the dose of drug has no effect.

AIM: Since 2012 the Veneto Region regulation (north-east Italy) allowed wine production using 20 hybrid grapevine varieties selected for their high tolerance to downy mildew and powdery mildew. Characterized by vigour, high grape productivity and low pesticide use, these varieties are suitable to develop sustainable viticulture in mountain areas located at medium altitudes.

Downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator) and bunch rot (Botrytis cinerea) are the most prevalent fungal diseases in viticulture.

In partnership with a Bordeaux property wanting to improve the quality of its second wine, the effects of two factors, American oak barrels and mannoproteins were studied. Their impact on the attractiveness and sweetness of wines were characterized during two successive vintages (2012 and 2013). Vinification took place with a homogeneous batch of Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was then divided up into various groups of five barrels of French and American oak, new or reused. Analyses of volatile and non-volatile wood compounds were undertaken at four months and eight months of wood ageing, by LC-MS and GC-MS.

Dating back to the early domestication period of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), expansion of human activity led to the creation of thousands of modern day genotypes that serve multiple purposes such as table and wine consumption. They also encompass a strong phenotypic diversity. Presently, viticulture faces various challenges, which include threatening climatic change scenarios and an historical track record of genetic erosion. Paritularly with regards to wine varieties, there is a pressing need to characterize the extant genetic diversity of modern varieties, as a means to delvier knowledge-based solutions under a rapidly evolving scenario, that may enable improved yields and profiles, resistance to pathogens, and increased resilience to climate change.