The use of viticultural and oenological performance of grapevines to identify terroirs: the example of Sauvignon blanc in Stellenbosch

Cluster architecture in grapevine plays a critical role in influencing bunch microclimate, thus quality traits, including sugar content, phenolic composition, and disease susceptibility.

As an economically important fruit crop, continuous cropping of grapes can potentially impact soil health resulting in decreased yields.

Etant lié au sol et aux conditions atmosphériques, le statut hydrique influence la physiologie de la vigne d’une part, mais joue aussi un role important en ce qui concerne la qualité du raisin et donc du vin d’autre part. Nous avons mesuré, dans la région de Stellenbosch, le statut hydrique sur des pieds de Sauvignon Blanc non irrigués, implantés sur 2 terroirs différents, l’un froid, l’autre plus chaud.

One of the major threats to viticulture is represented by fungal pathogens. Plasmopara viticola, an oomycete causing grapevine downy mildew, is one of the principal causes of grape production losses. The most efficient management strategies are represented by a combination of agronomical practices, fungicides’ applications, and use of resistant varieties. Plant resistance is conferred by the presence of resistance (R) genes. Opposed to them, susceptibility (S) genes are encoded by plants and exploited by pathogens to promote infection. Loss or mutation of S genes can limit the ability of pathogens to infect the host. By exploiting post-transcriptional gene silencing, known as RNA intereference (RNAi), it is possible to knock-down the expression of S genes, promoting plant resistance.

The influence of two pre-veraison and post-veraison regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies on yield and grape quality was analyzed during a two year period for mature grapevines (cv. Monastrell) in Southeastern of Spain