Paolo Sivilotti

Use of non-conventional yeast improves the wine aroma profile of Ribolla Gialla

Consumer wine preferences are changing rapidly towards exotic flavours and tastes. In this work, we tested five non-conventional yeast strains for their potential to improve Ribolla Gialla wine quality. These strains were previously selected from numerous yeasts interesting as food production candidates. Sequential fermentation of Ribolla Gialla grape juice with the addition of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae T73 Lalvin industrial strain was performed. Zygosaccharomyces kombuchaensis CBS8849 and Kazachstania gamospora CBS10400 demonstrated positive organoleptic properties and suitable fermentation dynamics, rapid sugar consumption and industrial strain compatibility. At the same time, Torulaspora microellipsoides CBS6641, Dekkera bruxellensis CBS2796 and Dekkera anomala CBS77 were unsuitable for wine production because of poor fermentation dynamics, inefficient sugar consumption and ethanol production levels and major organoleptic defects. Thus, we selected strains of K. gamospora and Z. kombuchaensis that significantly improved the usually plain taste of Ribolla wine by providing additional aromatic complexity in a controlled and reproducible manner.

Olive fruit phenols transfer, transformation and partition trail during laboratory-scale olive oil processing

This work is the most comprehensive study on the quantitative behavior of olive fruit phenols during olive oil processing, providing insight into their transfer, transformation, and partition trail. In total, 69 phenols were quantified in 6 olive matrices from a three-phase extraction line employing ultra high pressure liquid chromatography-diode array detection analysis. Crushing had a larger effect than malaxation in terms of phenolic degradation and transformation, resulting in several new evolutions of respective derivatives. The peel and pulp together confined 95% of total fruit phenols, while stone only 5%. However, only 0.53% of all ended-up in olive oil, nearly 6% in wastewater, and 48% in pomace. Secoiridoids were the predominant class in all matrices, though represented by different individuals. Their partition behavior was rather similar to other phenolic classes, where with few minor exceptions only aglycones were partitioned to the oil, while other glycosides were lost with the wastes.

Early versus late leaf removal strategies for Pinot Noir (Vitis vinifera L.): effect on colour-related phenolics in young wines following alcoholic fermentation

BACKGROUND The widely adopted viticultural practice of late (véraison) leaf removal is now losing many of its advantages as a result of todays warmer vineyard conditions. With the aim of seeking a good alternative, the influence of earlier leaf removals (at pre-flowering and berry-set) on colour-related phenolics in young Pinot Noir wines was investigated in the years 2009 and 2010. RESULTS Total flavonols in 2009 wines were 71 and 52% higher in case of véraison and berry-set treatments respectively as compared with untreated controls, while in 2010 the average content of flavonols was highest with pre-flowering leaf removal (75% higher than controls). The anthocyanin content in 2009 wines was 18 and 11% higher in case of véraison and berry-set treatments respectively and was favoured by early leaf removals in 2010 (50 and 43% higher in case of berry-set and pre-flowering treatments respectively) as compared with controls. Changes in hydroxycinnamic acid profiles were shown to be greatest in 2010 wines resulting from early leaf removal treatments. Promoted formation of vitisin A-like pigments in 2010 leaf removal treatments was observed during fermentation. CONCLUSIONS The phenolic profiles of grapes/wines were affected by leaf removal timing, although differently in two (extremely different) seasons. Earlier leaf removal strategies showed some promising results, with good proportions mainly of flavonols and anthocyanins, retained also in young wines. Vitisins A in wines were positively affected by all leaf removals.

Leaf Removal and Cluster Thinning Efficiencies Are Highly Modulated by Environmental Conditions in Cool Climate Viticulture

One of several challenges in cool climate viticulture with a short growing season is to consistently reach a uniform, optimal fruit technological maturity at harvest before the first autumn frost. Weather conditions in Michigan from veraison to harvest are highly variable and unpredictable among years, constraining the preharvest assessment of fruit quality for grapegrowers and wineries. Under these environmental conditions, cluster thinning and leaf removal are commonly adopted viticultural techniques to enhance fruit ripening. Cluster thinning consists of a selective elimination of clusters to optimize the source/sink ratio of the vine. Cluster zone leaf removal induces changes in the fruit microenvironment, particularly solar radiation, temperature, and aeration. In this work, we evaluated the effects of cluster thinning and cluster zone leaf removal, applied separately in combination at veraison, on Cabernet franc in two consecutive years, 2011 and 2012. The two seasons had very distinct weather patterns from veraison to harvest. Fruit maturity was enhanced at 15 to 20 days after veraison in both years by these viticultural techniques, but with very different dynamics. The combination of leaf removal and cluster thinning led to greater fruit uniformity and better chemical composition at harvest in 2011, a year characterized by low heat accumulation after veraison. In 2012, when heat accumulation and mean temperatures after veraison were higher than in 2011, no differences were observed among treatments.

Polyphenolic Characterisation of Vranac, Kratosija and Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L. cv.) Grapes and Wines from Different Vineyard Locations in Montenegro

In Montenegro, red wines are produced predominantly, and Vranac accounts for nearly 80% of these wines, followed by Kratosija and Cabernet Sauvignon. In order to characterise polyphenols in red varieties, grapes were sampled from representative vineyards at harvest time during 2011 and 2012. The content and distribution of extractable anthocyanins, low-molecular mass proanthocyanidins (LMP) and highmolecular mass proanthocyanidins (HMP) in the seeds and skins of the grape berries were evaluated by applying a five-day extraction method using ethanol:water (12:88) as extraction solvent. On average, the highest content of LMP (2 006 and 1 690 mg/kg of grape fresh mass in years 2011 and 2012 respectively), HMP (2 705 and 2 805 mg/kg in years 2011 and 2012 respectively) and anthocyanins (1 035 mg/kg in the year 2011) was found in the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The highest content of anthocyanins (1 113 mg/kg in the year 2012) and the lowest content of LMP (1 103 and 846 mg/kg in years 2011 and 2012 respectively) was found in Vranac grapes. Kratosija grapes had the lowest anthocyanin content (456 and 517 mg/kg in years 2011 and 2012 respectively), and levels of LMP were similar to Vranac. The percentage distributions of LMP between skins and seeds were 34:66, 39:61 and 49:51, whereas the distributions of HMP between skins and seeds were 67:33, 62:38 and 64:36 for Vranac, Kratosija and Cabernet Sauvignon respectively. All varieties had more LMP in the seeds and more HMP in the skins of the grapes. The results obtained are important to better understand the polyphenolic potential of Montenegrin red grape varieties.

Soil and foliar fertilization affects mineral contents in Vitis vinifera L. cv. 'rebula' leaves

Grapevine nutrient oversupply as well as shortage can both result in unbalanced vine growth and poor grape production. Mineral fertilization is a powerful tool also in viticulture in order to increase yields and improve grape quality. The trial carried out in Slovenian winegrowing region investigated the effects of basic fertilization coupled with soil or foliar applications of fertilizers containing Mg and Fe on the concentration of K, Mg, Fe and Zn in the grapevines leaves at berry set and veraison. The results obtained in a 2-years study (2008-09) with seven different fertilization treatments (along with control) showed that fertilization with K decreased Mg uptake almost on a half comparing to untreated vines, resulting in basal leaves chlorosis. High K/Mg ratio, determining low Mg uptake, was not lowered in our trial neither by foliar spraying nor by fertirigation with MgSO 4 solution. On the other hand, Mg application in addition to Fe supply had same effect on soil Zn uptake and its accumulation in the leaf petioles. Moreover, foliar Fe fertilization enhanced Fe levels in blades at berry set and to a lesser extent also at veraison.

Early leaf removal has a larger effect than cluster thinning on grape phenolic composition in cv. Teran

This study aimed to assess the effects of early leaf removal (ELR) and cluster thinning (CT) on vegetative growth, yield components, and berry composition of Teran (Vitis vinifera L.) grown in the Istria region of Croatia. Both treatments were compared with an untreated control (UC) during the 2012 and 2013 growing seasons. ELR involved the removal of six basal leaves at the preflowering stage, while in CT, 35% of clusters were removed at the onset of veraison. Both ELR and CT resulted in lower yield per vine compared to UC (22 and 37% less, respectively), and in greater Brix at harvest (+1.3 and +1.0, respectively). The concentration of total phenolics in grapes increased by 19% in ELR and by 6% in CT compared to UC, while total anthocyanin concentrations increased only in ELR (+20% versus UC). Despite greater yield and a lower leaf area-to-yield ratio compared to CT, ELR achieved higher total anthocyanin and phenolic concentration, suggesting that ELR is more suitable than CT for the production of high-quality Teran grapes.

UHPLC-MS/MS determination of varietal thiol precursors in Sauvignon Blanc grapes

Varietal thiol precursors in grapes are subject to metabolic changes during post-harvest treatments. Metabolic activity should therefore be limited after sampling to understand their biosynthesis in the berry and genetic regulation. In this study, berries were frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately after harvesting, transported in dry ice, stored briefly at −80 °C, cryo-milled and extracted without being thawed in cold methanol in a ratio of 1:4 (w/v). A UHPLC-MS/MS method for quantitative determination of the thiol precursors 3-S-glutathionylhexan-1-ol (G3MH), 3-S-cysteinylhexan-1-ol (Cys3MH), 4-S-glutathionyl-4-methylpentan-2-one (G4MMP) and 4-S-cysteinyl-4-methylpentan-2-one (Cys4MMP), glutathione, oxidized glutathione and L-methionine in grapes was developed. Reference material was provided through synthesis of precursors and their deuterium labelled analogues. The average thiol precursor content in grapes in 2013–15 was in the range 8–16 μg kg−1 for G3MH, 1–6 μg kg−1 for Cys3MH, 1–4 μg kg−1 for Cys4MMP and 0.3 μg kg−1 for G4MMP. In 2013 and 2014, the highest precursor content in mature Sauvignon Blanc grapes from vineyards located in Italy regarded G3MH, followed by Cys3MH, Cys4MMP and G4MMP. In 2015, G3MH was again the most abundant precursor, but followed by Cys4MMP, Cys3MH and G4MMP.

Combined Effects of Early Season Leaf Removal and Climatic Conditions on Aroma Precursors in Sauvignon Blanc Grapes

Early leaf removal around the cluster zone is a common technique applied in cool climate viticulture, to regulate yield components and improve fruit quality. Despite the increasing amount of information on early leaf removal and its impact on total soluble solids, anthocyanins, and polyphenols, less is known regarding aroma compounds. In order to verify the hypothesis that defoliation, applied before or after flowering, could impact the biosynthesis of thiol precursors, we performed a two year (2013 and 2014) experiment on Sauvignon blanc. We provided evidence that differential accumulation of thiol precursors in berries is affected by the timing of defoliation, and this impact was related to modifications in the biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, the possible interaction between leaf removal treatment and seasonal weather conditions, and its effect on the biosynthesis of volatile precursors are discussed. Our results suggested that in Sauvignon blanc the relative proportion of 4-S-glutathionyl-4-methylpentan-2-one (G-4MSP) and 3-S-glutathionylhexan-1-ol (G-3SH) precursors can be affected by defoliation, and this could be related to the induction of two specific genes encoding glutathione-S-transferases (VvGST3 and VvGST5), while no significant effects on basic fruit chemical parameters, polyphenols, and methoxypyrazines were ascertained under our experimental conditions.

Enhancement of Istrian Malvasia wine aroma and hydroxycinnamate composition by hand and mechanical leaf removal: Enhancement of wine aroma and hydroxycinnamate composition by leaf removal

BACKGROUND Leaf removal is a viticultural practice that promotes the biosynthesis of several important grape constituents by improving fruit zone microclimate. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of hand and mechanical leaf removal, applied at the pea-size stage of berry development, on fruit zone microclimate, volatile aroma compounds, hydroxycinnamates and sensory characteristics of Istrian Malvasia (Vitis vinifera L.) wines. Three different sunlight exposure conditions were applied: hand leaf removal (HLR), mechanical leaf removal (MLR) and untreated control (UC). RESULTS Both leaf removal treatments, and especially the more intense HLR, significantly increased the concentration of varietal thiol 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol, monoterpenes, β-damascenone and esters. The higher concentration of these aromas contributed to the improvement of wine sensory quality, as expressed by more enhanced floral, fruity and tropical sensory attributes in leaf removal treatments. Hydroxycinnamates were increased only by HLR, a treatment with a greater degree of fruit exposure to sunlight than MLR. CONCLUSION Leaf removal applied at the pea-size stage of berry development in a season characterized by abundant rainfall improves both the chemical composition and sensory quality of Istrian Malvasia wine, even when performed by machine, implying that this technique might be successfully applied in large-scale viticultural production.