Mapping terroirs at the reconnaissance level, by matching soil, geology, morphology, land cover and climate databases with viticultural and oenological results from experimental vineyards

The strategy of single berry phenotyping is a recently rediscovered research tool that has gained great attention. The latest studies have indicated that previous physiological models based on pooling asynchronous populations of berries provided biased or blurred information on berry development key players. The possibility of monitoring and sampling single synchronized berries to study their development sequentially has opened new lines of research aimed at unraveling the genes that regulate grapevine fruit development. This study aimed to decipher the gene pathways responsible for the activation/deactivation of physiological processes involved in the green phase of growth, the onset of ripening, and the second growth phase.

The intricate relationship between the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea and grape berries (Vitis vinifera spp.) can lead to the development of either the desirable noble rot (NR) or the unfavourable grey rot (GR), depending on the prevailing weather conditions.

It is well documented that varietal aroma is an important parameter of wine quality. Chemical compounds responsible for wine varietal aroma are sourced from secondary grape metabolites. Until today little research is conducted on the influence of vine clone on the grape aromatic content of Greek grape varieties. Xinomavro (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most important Greek grape varieties, valuable for the wine industry of Northern Greece since it contributes to the production of PDO wine of Naoussa, Amindeo and Goumenissa.

The color as well as the “clarity” of red wines are ones of the qualities required by the consumers. Red wines must have colloidal stability from its bottling to its consumption. The supplementation of red wines with additives, and especially Acacia senegal gum, contributes to its organoleptic properties such as the colloidal stabilization of the coloring matter. In a global perspective of limitation of additives in the field of enology, one of the objectives is notably (i) to reduce the use of additives in wines, by their number and/or their quantity, and (ii) to favor the use of natural additives while preserving the organoleptic and sensory qualities of wines.

Selected strains of non-Saccharomyces yeasts showed a positive effect on sensory characteristics and aromatic complexity of wine. A sequential microbial culture of non-Saccharomyces and S. cerevisiae species is usually inoculated due to poorer fermentability of non-Saccharomyces species. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the production of white wines. We evaluated how individual combinations of sequential inoculations of non-Saccharomyces and S. cerevisiae species affect the aromatic compounds (volatile thiols and esters) and sensory characteristics of the wines.