Terroir in Slovak viticulture area

Elemental sulfur is a fungicide used by grape growers to control the development of powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Erysiphe necator. This compound is effective, cheap and has a low toxicity with no withholding period recommended. However, high levels of S0 residues in the harvested grapes can lead to the formation of reductive sulfur compounds that can impart taints and faults to the wine. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a very volatile and unpleasant sulfur compound which formation is connected to high residues of S0 in juice (10 – 100 mg/L).

In front of the economic interest and seeking to respect their environment, the wine growers move gradually towards a policy of reasoning their plant health protection. This is why, starting from epidemiologic studies on grapevine pathogens, forecasting models of the risks are developed by research and experimentation bodies.

Winemaking is influenced by micro-organisms, which are largely responsible for the quality of the product. In this context, Non-Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces species are of great importance not only because it influences the development of alcoholic fermentation (AF) but also on the achievement of malolactic fermentation (MLF). Among these yeasts, Torulaspora delbrueckii allows in sequential inoculation with strains of S. cerevisiae shorter MLF realizations [5] . Little information is available on the temporal effect of the presence of T. delbrueckii on (i) the evolution of AF and (ii) the MLF performance.

Scientific information on grapevine response to predicted levels of climate parameters is scarce and not sufficient to properly position the Wine Industry for the future. It is critical that the combined effects of increased temperature and CO2 on grapevines should be examined, without omitting the important link to soil water conditions. The purpose of this study is to quantify the effects of envisioned changes in climatic parameters on the functioning and growth of young grafted grapevines under controlled conditions, simulating expected future climate changes. Scientific knowledge of precisely how the newly-planted grapevine will react morphologically, anatomically and physiologically (at leaf, root and whole plant level) to the expected changes in important climatic parameters will enable producers to make better-informed decisions regarding terroir, cultivar and rootstock choices as well as the adaptation of current cultivation practices.

Interspecific hybrid winegrapes are of growing interest in the context of climate change based on their disease resistance and cold hardiness. In addition to a need for increased understanding of their chemical composition, there is little empirical evidence on the consumer perception of non-vinifera wine. Phenolic compounds, and particularly color, play an important organoleptic and quality determination role in wine, but can vary significantly in interspecific hybrid wines compared to wines produced from Vitis vinifera cultivars [1, 2, 3]. Anecdotally, the variation in anthocyanin species, interactions, and concentrations in interspecific hybrids could result in a variance from“vinifera-like” wine color.