The study of anthocyanins in wines and grapes has been the subject of numerous research works over the years due to their important role in enology regarding their contribution to wine sensory properties.

Grapevine phenology has advanced across many regions, nationally and internationally, in recent decades under the influence of increasing temperatures, resulting in earlier
vintages (Jones and Davis, 2000, Petrie and Sadras, 2008, Tomasi et al., 2011, Webb et al., 2011. Earlier vintages have several ramifications for the wine industry. There are direct implications on quality, due to the fruit ripening during the hotter conditions of summer and early autumn, which then impacts grape composition and wine style (Sadras et al., 2013, Buttrose et al., 1971, Mira de Ordũna, 2010). There are also indirect implications where the fruit is perceived to ripen at a faster rate and the crop reach optimum maturity over a shorter period (Coulter et al., 2016).

The marked climate change impact on vine and grape development (phenology, sugar content, acidity …) is one of the manifestations of Genotype X Environment X Management interactions importance in viticulture. Some practices, such as irrigation, can mitigate the effect of water deficit on grape development, but warming is much more difficult to challenge. High temperatures tend to alter the acid balance of the fruit with a parallel increase in sugar concentration. In the long term, genetic improvement to select varieties better coping with temperature elevation appear as a good option to support sustainable viticulture. Nevertheless, the existing phenotypic diversity for grape quality components that are influenced by temperature is poorly understood, which jeopardizes breeding strategies.

Background: Polyphenols extracted from skins and seeds showed different sensory attributes including astringency and bitterness. In previous studies, it has been demonstrated that extracts obtained either from skins or seeds interact differently with salivary proteins.

Around the world, the alcohol content of wine has been steadily increasing; partly as a consequence of climate change, but also due to improvements in viticultural management practices and winemaking techniques [1,2]. Concurrently, market demand for wines with lower alcohol levels has increased as consumers seek to reduce alcohol intake for social and/or health reasons [3]. As such, there is increasing demand for both innovative methods that allow winemakers to produce ‘reduced alcohol wines’ (RAW) and a better understanding of the impact of such methods on the composition of RAW. This study therefore aimed to investigate compositional changes in two red wines resulting from partial alcohol removal following treatment by one such method, involving a combination of reverse osmosis and evaporative perstraction (RO-EP).