The role of climate/soil of different zones/terroirs on grape characteristics

Le climat a de fortes implications sur le bon fonctionnement physiologique de la vigne et a besoin d’être quantifié afin de déterminer l’aptitude des régions à la culture de la vigne. Une méthode, qui pourrait éventuellement servir à prévoir l’aptitude des régions à la culture de la vigne, est proposée.

Phenolic compounds are released from the wood into the wine spirit (WS) during the ageing process, and are of utmost importance to the colour, flavour, taste and the overall quality acquired by this spirit drink.1 Their concentrations in the WS and the related effects mainly depend on the kind of wood (oaks vs chestnut), toasting level and ageing technology (traditional using wooden barrels vs alternative).1,2,3

The decision for grape berries to ripen involves a complex interplay of genetic regulation and environmental cues. This review explores the molecular mechanisms underlying the transition from vegetative growth to ripening, focusing on transcriptomic studies and the role of the NAC gene family. Transcriptomic analyses reveal a significant rearrangement of gene expression patterns during this transition, with up-regulation of ripening-related genes and down-regulation of those associated with vegetative growth. A molecular phenology scale providing a high-precision map of berry transcriptomic development, indicates that key molecular changes occur well before the onset of ripening.

Long-term studies on grapevine phenology have clearly demonstrated that global warming is affecting phenological events, leading to an anticipation in their timing, and negatively impacting grape yield and berry quality. Therefore, dissecting the genetic determinants involved in the plant regulation of the phenological stages of budburst, flowering, veraison and ripening can improve our knowledge of the underlying mechanisms and support plant breeding programs and the advancement of vineyard management strategies.
We report here the results of a QTL mapping experiment conducted on three segregating populations obtained from the crossing of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ and ‘Corvina’, ‘Corvina’ and the hybrid ‘Solaris’ and ‘Rhine Riesling’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’.

The technique of crossing, whether free or controlled, has always been a source of variability allowing the selection of new varieties with improved fitness.