The Bergerac guaranteed vintage area « terroirs »

The phenological stage of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) represents a fundamental element in vineyard management, since it determines key practices such as fertilization, irrigation, phytosanitary interventions and optimal harvest time (Mullins et al., 1992).

AIM To determine the effect of both ripeness and enzyme maceration on the astringency and bitterness perception of Cabernet Sauvignon winesRecent work has contributed to a more detailed understanding of the grape cell wall deconstruction process from ripening through crushing and fermentation, providing a better understanding of what role polysaccharides play in post-harvest fermentation of grapes(1,2). Current research on glycomics in red wine making suggest polysaccharides are important sensory impact molecules (3–6). METHODSOur experimental system harvests Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at three different ripeness levels and makes wine both with and without enzyme treatment.

Increasing temperatures worldwide are expected to cause a change in spatial distribution of plant species along elevational gradients and there are already observable shifts to higher elevations as a consequence of climate change for many species. Not only naturally growing plants, but also agricultural cultivations are subject to the effects of climate change, as the type of cultivation and the economic viability depends largely on the prevailing climatic conditions. A shift to higher elevations therefore represents a viable adaptation strategy to climate change, as higher elevations are characterized by lower temperatures. This is especially important in the case of viticulture because a certain wine-style can only be achieved under very specific climatic conditions. Although there are several studies investigating climatic suitability within winegrowing regions or longitudinal shifts of winegrowing areas, little is known about how fast vineyards move to higher elevations, which may represent a viable strategy for winegrowers to maintain growing conditions and thus wine-style, despite the effects of climate change. We therefore investigated the change in the spatial distribution of vineyards along an elevational gradient over the past 20 years in the mountainous wine-growing region of Alto Adige (Italy). A dataset containing information about location and planting year of more than 26000 vineyard parcels and 30 varieties was used to perform this analysis. Preliminary results suggest that there has been a shift to higher elevations for vineyards in general (from formerly 700m to currently 850 m a.s.l., with extreme sites reaching 1200 m a.s.l.), but also that this development has not been uniform across different varieties and products (i.e. vitis vinifera vs hybrid varieties and still vssparkling wines). This is important for climate change adaptation as well as for rural development. Mountain areas, especially at mid to high elevations, are often characterized by severe land abandonment which can be avoided to some degree if economically viable and sustainable land management strategies are available.

L’objectif de cette recherche a été de déterminer les effets de l’enherbement dans le microclimat de la vigne. On a comparé cinq couvertures de cycle végétatif différent en ce qui concerne l’entretien du sol sans culture par application d’herbicides. L’étude a été developpée dans un vignoble cv. Malbec conduit en haute espalier, situé en a terroir á Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentine. On a déterminé des paramètres micro climatiques:

During bottle aging, many thiol compounds are involved in the expression of bouquet of great aged red wines according to the quality of the closure.1,2 Identifying thiol compounds in red wines is a challenging task due several drawbacks including, the complexity of the matrix, the low concentration of these impact compounds and the amount of wine needed.3,4
This work aims to develop a new strategy based on the functionalisation of oak wood organic extracts with H₂S, to produce new thiols, in order to mimic what can happen in red wine during bottle aging. Following this approach and through sensory analysis experiments, we demonstrated that the vanilla-like aroma of fresh oak wood was transformed into intense “meaty” nuances similar to those found in old but non oxidized red wines.