terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 ANTI-TRANSPIRANT MODULATION OF GRAPE RIPENING: EFFECTS ON MERLOT VINE DEVELOPMENT AND ROSÉ WINE PHENOLIC AND AROMATIC PROFILES

ANTI-TRANSPIRANT MODULATION OF GRAPE RIPENING: EFFECTS ON MERLOT VINE DEVELOPMENT AND ROSÉ WINE PHENOLIC AND AROMATIC PROFILES

Abstract

Climate changes are impacting viticultural regions throughout the world with temperature increases being most prevalent.1 These changes will not only impact the regions capable of growing grapes, but also the grapes that can be grown.2 As temperatures rise the growing degree days increase and with it the sugar accumulation within the berries and subsequent alcohol levels in wine. Consequently, viticultural practices need to be examined to decrease the levels of sugars. Anti-transpirants have been used to some degree of success, however their benefits may be linked to the varietal and style of wine produced.3 With this in mind we undertook a study of anti-transpirant application to merlot grapes to determine its effectiveness for reducing alcohol in Rosé wines.

The trial was performed in a commercial vineyard in the Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand. The vines were two cane pruned and the vineyard was managed under conventional practices. The trial was setup as a randomized block design with five vines per block. Anti-transpirant was applied using a backpack sprayer to upper portion of the canopy to the point of run off at véraison. The berries were then harvested by hand at 18 °Brix and wine making using a standardized wine making protocol at the research winery.

The harvest dates were delayed between the treated and untreated vines. The treated wines were found to have a higher pH, lower titratable acidity, and increased total phenolics. The aroma compound analysis resulted in several significant differences that were noted in the sensory evaluation. In both vintages the control wines were found to be influenced by green, vegetal, and earthy notes while the treated wines were found to be influenced by fruit aromas. These sensory attributes were confirmed by examining the aromatic compounds by PCA. This resulted in the controls being influenced by methoxypyrazines and alcohols and a few esters, compared to treated wines which were influenced by esters and terpenoids.

In conclusion, we were able to show that the application of anti-transpirant was able to dissociate the ripening process of Merlot grapes. Its application decreased sugar production but allowed for aromatic compound production. This demonstrates the potential effectiveness for anti-transpirants to control sugar in grape production to mitigate increased temperatures. These results indicate that further research is necessary to optimize the application timing of the anti-transpirant.

 

1. Van Leeuwen, C. D.-I., A.; Dubernet, M.; Duchêne, E.; Gowdy, M.; Marguerit, E.; Pieri, P.; Parker, A.; de Rességuier, L.; Ollat, N. (2019). An Update on the Impact of Climate Change in Viticulture and Potential Adaptations. Agronomy, 9, 514
2. Parker, A. K., García de Cortázar-Atauri, I., Gény, L., Spring, J.-L., Destrac, A., Schultz, H., Molitor, D., Lacombe, T., Graça, A., Monamy, C., Stoll, M., Storchi, P., Trought, M. C. T., Hofmann, R. W., & van Leeuwen, C. (2020). Temperature-based grape-vine sugar ripeness modelling for a wide range of Vitis vinifera L. cultivars. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 285-286, 107902.
3. Di Vaio, C., Marallo, N., Di Lorenzo, R., & Pisciotta, A. (2019). Anti-Transpirant Effects on Vine Physiology, Berry and Wine Composition of cv. Aglianico (Vitis vinifera L.) Grown in South Italy. Agronomy, 9(5), 244.

DOI:

Publication date: February 9, 2024

Issue: OENO Macrowine 2023

Type: Article

Authors

Kenneth Olejar1, Petra King2, Carmo Vasconcelos3, Elise Montgomery4, Karen Ball5, Stewart Field6

1 Appalchian State University, Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences, Boone, NC, USA
2 Easten Institute of Technology, Department of Viticulture and Wine, Taradale, New Zealand
3 Bragato Research Institute, Blenheim, New Zealand
4 New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, Department of Viticulture and Wine, Taradale, New Zealand
5 Easten Institute of Technology, Department of Viticulture and Wine, Taradale, New Zealand
6 New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, Department of Viticulture and Wine, Blenheim, New Zealand

Contact the author*

Keywords

dissociatedripenin, glow-alcohol wine, wine sensory, wine aroma

Tags

IVES Conference Series | oeno macrowine 2023 | oeno-macrowine

Citation

Related articles…

HOW DOES ULTRASOUND TREATMENT AFFECT THE AGEING PROFILE OF AN ITALIAN RED WINE?

Many wine styles require moderate or extended ageing to ensure optimal consumer experience. However, few consumers have the interest or ability to age wine themselves, and holding wine in optimal conditions for extended periods is expensive for producers. A study was conducted on the use of ul-trasound energy on wine, with particular reference to its impact on sensory and chemical profiles. The OIV has authorised the use of ultrasound for processing crushed grapes (must) in Resolution OENO 616-2019, but not yet for finished wine1,2.
Read More

IDENTIFICATION OF NEW RESVERATROL DERIVATIVES FORMED IN RED WINE AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Stilbenes are natural bioactive polyphenols produced by grapevine. Recently, we have reviewed the na- tural presence of these compounds in wines [1]. This study showed that the resveratrol and its glycoside, the piceid, are the most abundant stilbenes in wines. Resveratrol is a well-known stilbene with a wide range of biological activities. Due to its specific structure, resveratrol can be oxidized in wines to form various derivatives including oligomers [2]. In this study, we investigate the resveratrol and piceid transformation in wines.

Read More

INCREASING PINOT NOIR COLOUR DENSITY THROUGH SEQUENTIAL INOCULATION OF FLOCCULENT COMMERCIAL WINE YEAST SPECIES

Vitis vinifera L. cv. Pinot noir can be challenging to manage in the winery as its thin skins require careful handling to ensure sufficient extraction of wine colour to promote colour stability during ageing.1 Literature has shown that fermentation with flocculent yeasts can increase red wine colour density.2 As consumers prefer greater colour density in red wines,3 the development of tools to increase colour density would be useful for the wine industry. This research explored the impact of interspecies sequential inoculation and co-flocculation of commercial yeast on Pinot noir wine colour.

Read More

INVESTIGATION OF MALIC ACID METABOLIC PATHWAYS DURING ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION USING GC-MS, LC-MS, AND NMR DERIVED 13C-LABELED DATA

Malic acid has a strong impact on wine pH and the contribution of fermenting yeasts to modulate its concentration has been intensively investigated in the past. Recent advances in yeast genetics have shed light on the unexpected property of some strains to produce large amounts of malic acid (“acidic strains”) while most of the wine starters consume it during the alcoholic fermentation. Being a key metabolite of the central carbohydrate metabolism, malic acid participates to TCA and glyoxylate cycles as well as neoglucogenesis. Although present at important concentrations in grape juice, the metabolic fate of malic acid has been poorly investigated.

Read More

CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECT ON POLYPHENOLS OF GRIGNOLINO GRAPES (VITIS VINIFERA L.) IN HILLY ENVIRONMENT

Current changes of ecoclimatic indicators may cause significant variation in grapevine phenology and grape ripening. Climate change modifies several abiotic factors (e.g. temperature, sunlight radiation, water availability) during the grapevine growth cycle, having a direct impact on the phenological stages of the grapevine, modulating the metabolic profile of berries and activating the synthesis and accumulation of diverse compounds in the skin of berries, with consequences on the composition of the grapes.
The influence exerted by different meteorological conditions, during three consecutive years (2020-2022) on secondary metabolites such as the polyphenolic profile of Grignolino grapes was investigated. The samples were collected from three vineyards characterized by different microclimatic conditions mainly related to the vineyard aspect and to a different age of the plants.

Read More