Study of wine-growing land (“terroir”) characteristics in the canton of Vaud (Switzerland): ecophysiological behaviour of the vine (cv. Chasselas)

Obiettivo generale di questo documenta è fornire un metodo di pianificazione che superi l’organizzazione delle aree rurali, ed in particolare vitate, finalizzata unicamente all’ot­timizzazione economico produttiva delle aziende, verso una pianificazione integrata degli spazi aperti.

Context and purpose of the study ‐ Recently early defoliation (ED) has been tested in several high‐ yielding grapevine varieties and sites aiming at reducing cluster compactness and hence, regulating yield and susceptibility to botrytis bunch rot infection. The reported results have been generally positive, encouraging growers to use this canopy management technique as an alternative for replacing the conventional time‐consuming cluster thinning and, simultaneously, as a sustainable practice to reduce the use of fungicides. However, ED increases berry sunburn risks and/or can induce carry‐over effects on vigor and node fruitfulness as shown in the two case studies reported in this work.

Much research has sought to define the complex contribution of terroir (varieties x site x cultural practices) on wine composition. This investigation applied recent advances in chemometrics to determine relative contributions of vine growth, berry maturity and site mesoclimate to wine composition and sensory profiles of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon for two vintages.

In contrast to fruit and grape berry ripening, the biological processes causing ripening disorders are often much less understood, although shriveling disorders of fruits are manifold and contribute to yield losses and reduced fruit quality worldwide. Shrinking berries are a common feature for all shriveling disorders in grapevine although their timing of appearance during the berry ripening process and their underlying induction processes distinct them from each other. The sugar accumulation disorder Berry Shrivel (BS) is characterized by a suppression of sugar accumulation short after veraison resulting in berries low in sugar content and anthocyanins in berry skins, while the organic acid content is similar. Recent studies analyzed the biochemical, morphological and molecular processes affected in BS berries and linked early changes to the period of ripening onset [1,2].

The primary objective of this research was to investigate the potential benefits of a Fabaceae-based product rich in triacontanol (a long-chain alcohol) applied to Vitis vinifera cv. Merlot, on key physiological and productive parameters of grapevines under controlled water stress conditions.