Soil or geology? And what’s the difference? Some observations from the New World

The impact of viticulture on soil can be determined by comparing the biophysical properties that represent soil health at a particular site and depth with those same properties in soil considered to represent the ‘pre-vineyard’ state (the headland). Information gathered by this method shows the changes in soil properties following the change to viticulture depend on individual vineyard management and environment.

Several classes of flavonoids, such as anthocyanins, flavonols, flavanols and flavones, undergo a slow H/D exchange on aromatic ring A, leading to full deuteration at positions C(6) and C(8). Within the flavanol class, H-C(6) and H-C(8) of catechin and epicatechin are slowly exchanged in D2O to the corresponding deuterated analogues; even quercetin, a relevant flavonol representative, shows the same behaviour in a D2O/DMSOd6 1:1 solution. Detailed kinetic measurements of these H/D scrambling processes are here reported by exploiting the time-dependent changes of their peak areas in the 1H-NMR spectra taken at different temperatures. A unifying reaction mechanism is also proposed based on our detailed kinetic observations, even taking into account pH and solvent effects. Molecular modelling and QM calculations were also carried out to shed more light on several molecular details of the proposed mechanism.

Temperature fluctuations and, in general, climatic conditions can significantly affect the chemical composition of grapes and, in turn, the taste and aromas of wine.

High power ultrasound has been recently recognized one of the most promising technologies in winemaking processes, especially after the recent OIV resolution, concerning the application of ultrasounds on crushed grapes to promote the extraction of skin compounds.

Hairy roots (HRs) are a symptom of a natural genetic modification by the soil-borne phytopathogen Rhizobium rhizogenes.