The impact of differences in soil texture within a vineyard on vine development and wine quality

The quality of bottled white wines is highly influenced by their storage conditions, mainly temperature, and exposure to light and oxygen (1, 2).

Many varietal white wines have aroma qualities that incorporate various tropical fruit aromas. These tropical fruit aromas are found to be considered positive qualities of the wines with consumers having positive emotional responses [1].

Carmenère fruit during ripening of a Vertical shoot positioning, VSP, trained experimental vineyard with north-south row orientation.

The vast majority of our understanding of grapevine physiology is focused on the processes that occur during the growing season. Though not obvious, winter physiological changes are dynamic and complex, and have great influence on the survival and phenology of grapevines. In cool and cold climates, winter temperatures are a constant threat to vine survival. Additionally, as climate changes, grapevine production is moving toward more traditionally cool and cold climates, either latitudinal or altitudinal in location. Our research focuses on understanding how grapevines navigate winter physiological changes and how temperature impacts aspects of cold hardiness and dormancy. Through these studies, we have gained keen insight into the connections between winter temperature, maximum cold haridness, and budbreak phenology, that can be used to develop prediction models for viticulture in a changing climate.

During wine alcoholic fermentation, yeasts produce volatile aroma compounds from sugar and nitrogen metabolism. Some of the metabolic pathways leading to these compounds have been known for more than a century.