GiESCO 2019 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 GiESCO 9 Long term influence of a cover crop in the agronomic and oenological performance of CV. Chardonnay

Long term influence of a cover crop in the agronomic and oenological performance of CV. Chardonnay

Abstract

Context and purpose of the study- Cover crops are acknowledged to be an interesting tool to produce higher quality grapes in red varieties, as they generally reduce vine vigour and yield. However, their incidence in white wine quality is not clear, since higher nitrogen availability can play an important positive role, and cover crops may compete for this nutrient. The possible reduction in available nitrogen can also modify the fermentation processes, as well as the synthesis of aromas in the wine. The aim of this work was to evaluate the long-term effect of a grass cover crop on grape and wine quality.

Material and methods – The study was conducted in a cv. Chardonnay vineyard located in Otazu (Navarra, Spain). During the 10 years prior to the experiment, the vineyard had been managed with a Festuca arundinacea and Lolium rigidum cover crop. In order to evaluate its incidence, at the beginning of the experiment, part of the rows were tilled, and the agronomic and oenological performance of both soil management strategies compared, with a detailed evaluation of the effects on must and wine amino acids.

Results – After 5 years of evaluation, the presence of the cover crop was shown not to affect yield, cluster number or berry weight, but it decreased pruning wood weight and leaf nitrogen content. Regarding grape composition, no differences were observed in terms of sugar content, pH and titratable acidity but covercropped vines produced grapes with lower yeast assimilable nitrogen and amino acid

DOI:

Publication date: September 28, 2023

Issue: GiESCO 2019

Type: Poster

Authors

Javier ABAD1,2*, Félix CIBRIÁIN3, Luis G. SANTESTEBAN2, Diana MARÍN2, Ana SAGÜÉS3

INTIA, Edificio de Peritos Avda. Serapio Huici nº 22, 31610, Villava, Spain
Dpt. Agronomy, Biotechnology and Food Science, Univ. P. de Navarra, Campus Arrosadia, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
Sección de Viticultura y Enología, Gobierno de Navarra, C/Valle de Orba nº34, 31390, Olite, Spain

Contact the author

Keywords

amino acids, wine, tillage, Vitis vinifera L.

Tags

GiESCO | GiESCO 2019 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Mitigation of retronasal smoke flavor carryover in the sensory analysis of smoke affected wines

With the steady rise in wildfire occurrence in wine regions around the world, there are quality issues beginning to face the wine industry. These fires produce clouds of smoke which have the ability to carry organic molecules across vast distances that can be absorbed by grapes. When these compounds make their way into the final wine, unpleasant smokey and burnt flavors are present, along with a lasting ashy finish. Along with the volatile compounds carried by smoke, once incorporated into the fruit these compounds become bound to sugars, forming glycosidic compounds.

Development of a new indicator of grape skin ripening in relation to Botrytis cinerea susceptibility

The bunch rot induced by Botrytis cinerea is an important disease of grapevine that causes a diminution of grape quality and a considerable yield loss leading to an economic loss

The pyramidal organization of AOC in France: a process of identification and valorisation of terroirs

English version: Result of their history, some famous French wine countries such as Burgundy, Bordeaux or Alsace, have a hierarchical organization of their Appellations of Controlled Origin (AOC): AOC regional, communal, Premier Cru, Grand Cru.

Metabolomic profiling of heat-stressed grape berries 

The projected rise in mean air temperatures together with the frequency, intensity, and length of heat waves in many wine-growing regions worldwide will deeply impact grape berry development and quality. Several studies have been conducted and a large set of molecular data was produced to better understand the impact of high temperatures on grape berry development and metabolism[1]. According to these data, it is highly likely that the metabolomic dynamics could be strongly modulated by heat stress (HS).

EVALUATION OF INDIGENOUS CANADIAN YEAST STRAINS AS WINE STARTER CULTURES ON PILOT SCALE FERMENTATIONS

The interactions between geographical and biotic factors, along with the winemaking process, influence the composition and sensorial characteristics of wine¹. In addition to the primary end products of alcoholic fermentation, many secondary metabolites contribute to wine flavor and aroma and their production depends predominantly on the yeast strain carrying out the fermentation. Commercially available strains of S. cerevisiae help improve the reproducibility and predictability of wine quality. However, most commercial wine strains available on the market have been isolated from Europe, are genetically similar, and may not be the ideal strain to reflect the terroir of Canadian vineyards².