Soils and plant material in prestigious Bordeaux vineyards impacts on yield and quality

Fossil fuel combustion continues to drive increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, consequently elevating the global annual mean temperature and specifically increasing the growing season temperatures in many of the world’s most important wine growing regions (IPCC 2014; Jones et al 2005). Grapes are sensitive to changes in growing season temperatures, and past models have shown a direct link between warming temperatures and earlier harvest dates (Cook and Wolkovich 2016). Globally, there have been shifts of 1-2 weeks for wine growing regions (Wolkovich et al 2017 and references within). The phenological shifts resulting from growing season temperature increases are documented internationally, and models predicting phenology using temperature are becoming more precise (Parker et al 2011).

Aims: The aims of the present study were to (1) evaluate the water dynamics of Touriga-Nacional grapevines trained to spur pruned cordon and Guyot systems and (2) assess the effect of variable water availability in a commercial vineyard located in the Demarcated Douro Region (DDR), Portugal.

When considering the application of a systemic approach to assess the intrinsic complexity of agricultural production, the following question immediately arises

It is important nowadays for wine producers to create a product that is an expression of their terroir, a concept including the interaction between a place (topography, climate, soil), the people (tradition, winemaking and viticultural practices) and the resulting product (grape varieties, wines) [1]. Nonetheless, wine’s typicity linked to those terroirs must be easily recognizable by consumers thanks to distinctive sensory characters and composition [2]. Among the compounds of interest, aromatic compounds and polyphenols play an important role in the quality of red wines, by impacting on the odour, color and astringency. To explore the influence of terroir factors, including climate, soil and human practices, on the chemical and sensory profile of wines, red wines from five terroirs of the Corbières appellation were subjected to a general study approach.

Mousy off-flavor is one of the defects of microbial origin in wine. It is described as a particularly unpleasant defect reminiscent of rodent urine (a “dirty mouse cage”), and grilled foods such as popcorn, rice, crackers, and bread crust. Prior to the 2010s, mousiness was very uncommon but it has been becoming more frequent in recent years. It is often associated with an increase in pH as well as certain oenological practices, which tend to significantly decrease the use of sulfur dioxide.