Use of the soils information system for detailed vineyard soil surveys and as a component of precision viticulture

Wine complexity is considered a multidimensional yet equivocal sensory percept. This project uncovered sensory attributes Australian Chardonnay wine consumers associate with Chardonnay wine complexity and correlations between expert and consumer perceived wine complexity and preference. A wine consumer test examined 6 Australian Chardonnay wines of three complexity levels designated low (LC1&2), medium (MC1&2), and high (HC1&2) by an expert panel (n = 8) using a benchtop sensory task. Consumers (n = 81) rated their perceived liking using a 9-point hedonic scale; wine complexity with a 5-point scale anchored “low”, “low-medium”, “medium”, “medium-high”, and “high” and lastly, profiled the wines using Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA). Psychographic segmentation with the Fine Wine Instrument (FWI) generated three segments; Wine Enthusiasts (WE n=29), Aspirants (ASP n=40) and No- Frills (NF n=12).

Powdery mildew, caused by fungal pathogens, poses a significant threat to grapevines in the DOCa Rioja region. In efforts to improve control strategies while reducing reliance on conventional phytosanitary products, ozone could constitute a potential alternative. However, it has short persistence, thus requiring frequent treatments. This study aimed to assess the suitability of ozone as an active substance for controlling powdery mildew within a phytosanitary strategy aimed at reducing conventional phytosanitary product usage. The strategy integrating ozone with conventional products yielded powdery mildew levels comparable to conventional treatments in both disease incidence and severity.

Limited knowledge has been acquired on grapevine roots and rhizosphere processes because of harder access when compared to aerial parts. There is need for new methods to study root behavior in undisturbed field conditions, and relate these effects on canopy and yield. The aim of this multidisciplinary study was to image and quantify spatial-temporal differences in soil-water uptake by genetically different rootstocks and to assess the response of the canopy during drought and rewetting.

Measuring the effect of oxygen consumption on the colour of wines as the level of dissolved oxygen decreases over time is very useful to know how much oxygen a wine is able to consume without significantly altering its colour. The changes produced in wine after being exposed to high oxygen concen-trations have been studied by different authors, but in all cases the wine has been analysed once the oxygen consumption process has been completed. This work presents the results obtained with the use of an equipment designed and made to measure simultaneously the level of dissolved oxygen and the spectrum of the wine, during the oxygen consumption process from saturation levels with air to very low levels, which indicate the total consumption of the dosed oxygen.

With 0.3 to 0.7 kg CO2eq per 0.75 L wine, the glass bottle is the main contributor to the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine.