Grapes from warm(ing) climates often contain excessive sugars but lack acidity. This can lead to highly alcoholic wines with compromised stability and balance. The yeast Lachancea thermotolerans can ameliorate such wines due to its metabolic peculiarity – partial fermentation of sugars to lactic acid. This study aimed to elucidate the population-wide diversity in L. thermotolerans, whilst selecting superior strains for wine sector. An extensive collection of isolates (~200) sourced from different habitats worldwide was first genotyped on 14 microsatellite loci. This revealed differentiation of L. thermotolerans genetic groups based on the isolation substrate and geography. The 94 genotyped strains were then characterised in Vitis vinifera cv. Chardonnay fermentations.

The increase in air temperature that is occurring in many important wine-growing areas around the world is resulting in the decoupling between the phenolic and the technological maturity of grapevine berries. This new ripening pattern leads to the production of light-bodied high alcoholic wines, but this is in countertendency with the increasing consumers’ demand for wines with low-to-mid alcohol concentrations. The oenological techniques proposed to reduce wine alcohol content are often very expensive and lead to detrimental effects on wine quality. Many viticultural practices have been proposed to slow down sugar accumulation the berry. One possible strategy that was previously found to be suitable for Aglianico grapevine is post-veraison shoot trimming. The aim of this work was to assess the carry over effects on the following year of shoot trimming and vine water status on yield and total soluble solids because the expected reduction in vine fertility could lead to a reduction in the effectiveness of shoot trimming.

The objective of the present work is to evaluate the impact of three S. cerevisiae strains on the comprehensive aroma profile of Albariño wine along its shelf life.

Da anni la ricerca viticola sta orientando le sue attenzioni verso lo studio della vocazionalità degli ecosistemi viticoli, perché fulcro della produttività della vite e qualità dei suoi frutti.

Each grapevine variety has a specific water use regulation response under drought, and it is still unclear whether this regulation results from innate genotypic behavior (iso- and anisohydric), or is a response to environmental factors, namely recurrent water stress priming effects. In the present work, we explored the influence of the field-grown genotypes’ drought memory in the drought-response phenotype of their vegetative progenies, in Trincadeira (isohydric) and Castelão (anisohydric) varieties under a drought event followed by recovery in a glasshouse. Cuttings from both cultivars subjected to full irrigation (FI) and non-irrigation (NI) treatments for 5 consecutive years were used.