Non Saccharomyces wine yeasts: emerging trends and challenges in winemaking

Throughout the growing season, grapevine frequently encounters environmental challenges associated with heat and light radiation stress, especially during the ripening stage, thereby constraining the yield and quality of berries. MYB24 has been previously proposed to control light responses during late fruit ripening stages, and it has been found to require the co-factor MYC2. We have generated transcriptomic data from grapevine leaves transiently co-transformed with MYB24 and MYC2. Differential expression analysis revealed 179 up-regulated genes (URGs). Considering tissue specificity, where MYB24 is specifically and highly expressed in flowers and late-ripening berries, the expression of these URGs was explored using a previously published Berry Development Atlas gathering berry development data of cv. ‘Pinot Noir’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ in different vintages.

Since some years, the French wine sector faces strategical challenges, all linked to climate change. Multiple issues have been observed like diseases development, early frost, drought, change in the precocity and maturity of grapes, each one resulting in loss of productivity and yield. In France, the varieties proposed today by nurseries are historical varieties that are not well adapted to those changes. Therefore, Mercier Frères, one of the leading grapevine nursery, has decided to start its own research programs, with the help of its laboratory Novatech, to answer the growing demand for new grapevine varieties.

Botrytis cinerea has more than 1200 host plants and is one of the most important plant pathogens in viticulture. Under certain environmental conditions, it can lead to the development of a noble rot, which results in a specific metabolic profile, altering physical texture and chemical composition. The other microbes involved in this process and their functional genes are poorly characterised. We have generated metatranscriptomic [1,2] and DNA metabarcoding data from three months of the Furmint grape variety, representing the four phases of noble rot, from healthy berries to completely dried berries.

At a time when the world’s winegrowing industry is having to adapt to a number of challenges, winegrowers are wondering about the consequent changes they will have to make (grape varieties, changes in vineyard and cellar techniques). For winegrowers and consumers alike, there is also the question of how these changes will affect the taste of their wines. This research, based on the study of numerous sources and archives from the 20th century, some of which have never been published before, aims to show that, in the recent past, the winegrowing world has shown incredible resilience in the face of crises, and that the taste and perception of fine wines has changed considerably in 100 years.

The quality of wine is difficult to define. This is most certainly accredited to everyone´s different perception of quality. Some of the indicators of high-quality wines are color complexity and balance. Color is one of the most crucial attributes of quality, not only for the obvious implications for their perception but also because they are indicators of other aspects related to its aroma and taste.