Climate Change and Grape and Wine Biomolecules: Effect and Solutions

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Factors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2022) | Viewed by 13160

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Food Science and Technology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30071 Murcia, Spain
Interests: wine; fining agents; phenolic compounds; volatile compounds; organoleptic properties; tannins; wine stabilization
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The wine sector is being directly affected by climate change, and all the events related to climate change can be reflected in the quality of the grapes and the wines that have been produced in the last few years all around the world. High temperatures are causing general advances in the dates of harvest, due to their influence on the physiology of the vine. Very high temperatures (> 30 ºC) during the ripening period can cause an acceleration of berry growth, faster sugar accumulation and a decrease in berry acidity, resulting in high-pH musts. In addition, a gap between the ripening of the pulp (with increases in sugar content and decreases in acid concentration) and that of the skin is usually seen, since the so-called aromatic and phenolic maturation processes are slower and require longer periods than the sugar accumulation in the pulp. All of these lead to the production of unbalanced wines, with high alcohol contents (which may exert a number of negative effects that pose microbiological, technical, sensory, economic and health challenges) and low acidity and with the consequent problems of a lack of color and aroma, and a high presence of green tannins and astringency.

In this Special Issue, we aim to collect the latest knowledge on the effects of climate change on the quality of grapes and wines, through the study of how their main biomolecules (sugars, organic acids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, volatile compounds, mineral content, etc.) are affected as well as the main developments that are being implemented, both in the vineyard and in the winery, to limit and/or correct the problems that these changes cause, in order to improve the quality of grapes and wines or adapt them to the new circumstances.

Dr. Encarna Gómez-Plaza
Dr. Rocio Gil-Muñoz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Grape biochemistry
  • Wine biochemistry
  • Maturation and harvest
  • Climate and viticulture
  • Phenolic compounds
  • Aroma compounds
  • Proteins and nitrogen compounds
  • Polysaccharides

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 4457 KiB  
Article
Secondary Metabolites Coordinately Protect Grapes from Excessive Light and Sunburn Damage during Development
by Joanna M. Gambetta, Valentina Romat, Leigh M. Schmidtke and Bruno P. Holzapfel
Biomolecules 2022, 12(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12010042 - 28 Dec 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3120
Abstract
Sunburn is a physiological disorder that reduces grape quality and vineyard yield. It is the result of excessive sunlight and high temperatures. As climate change continues to increase air temperatures, reports of sunburn damage in vineyards worldwide are becoming more frequent. Grapes produce [...] Read more.
Sunburn is a physiological disorder that reduces grape quality and vineyard yield. It is the result of excessive sunlight and high temperatures. As climate change continues to increase air temperatures, reports of sunburn damage in vineyards worldwide are becoming more frequent. Grapes produce secondary metabolites (carotenoids, polyphenols and aroma compounds) to counter photooxidative stress and acclimate to higher radiation environments. This study evaluated changes in these compounds in during ripening when grapes were exposed post-flowering (ED) and at véraison (LD), and compared them to a nondefoliated control (ND). ND contained more α-terpineol and violaxanthin, and the defoliated treatments contained more zeaxanthin, β-carotene, C6 compounds and flavonoids. ED berries adapted better to higher-light environments, displayed larger changes in secondary metabolite concentrations and lower levels of sunburn damage than LD berries did. The composition of berries with increasing sunburn damage was evaluated for the first time. Berries with no damage had the lowest concentrations of flavonoids and oxidized glutathione, and the highest concentrations of chlorophyll and α-terpineol. As damage increased, destruction of photosynthetic pigments, increase in polyphenols and loss of aroma compounds were evidenced. A significant effect of temperature and developmental stage on grape composition was also observed. This study provides a holistic overview of changes in secondary metabolites experienced by grape berries when exposed to excessive light, how these vary along development and how they affect sunburn incidence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Grape and Wine Biomolecules: Effect and Solutions)
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14 pages, 529 KiB  
Article
Effect of Methyl Jasmonate Doped Nanoparticles on Nitrogen Composition of Monastrell Grapes and Wines
by Rocío Gil-Muñoz, María José Giménez-Bañón, Juan Daniel Moreno-Olivares, Diego Fernando Paladines-Quezada, Juan Antonio Bleda-Sánchez, José Ignacio Fernández-Fernández, Belén Parra-Torrejón, Gloria Belén Ramírez-Rodríguez and José Manuel Delgado-López
Biomolecules 2021, 11(11), 1631; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11111631 - 4 Nov 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2341
Abstract
Nitrogen composition on grapevines has a direct effect on the quality of wines since it contributes to develop certain volatile compounds and assists in the correct kinetics of alcoholic fermentation. Several strategies can be used to ensure nitrogen content in grapes and one [...] Read more.
Nitrogen composition on grapevines has a direct effect on the quality of wines since it contributes to develop certain volatile compounds and assists in the correct kinetics of alcoholic fermentation. Several strategies can be used to ensure nitrogen content in grapes and one of them could be the use of elicitors such as methyl jasmonate. The use of this elicitor has been proven to be efficient in the production of secondary metabolites which increases the quality of wines, but its use also has some drawbacks such as its low water solubility, high volatility, and its expensive cost. This study observes the impact on the amino acid and ammonium composition of must and wine of Monastrell grapes that have been treated with methyl jasmonate (MeJ) and methyl jasmonate n-doped calcium phosphate nanoparticles (MeJ-ACP). The first objective of this study was to compare the effect of these treatments to determine if the nitrogenous composition of the berries and wines increased. The second aim was to determine if the nanoparticle treatments showed similar effects to conventional treatments so that the ones which are more efficient and sustainable from an agricultural point of view can be selected. The results showed how both treatments increased amino acid composition in grapes and wines during two consecutive seasons and as well as the use of MeJ-ACP showed better results compared to MeJ despite using less quantity (1 mM compared to 10 mM typically). So, this application form of MeJ could be used as an alternative in order to carry out a more efficient and sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Grape and Wine Biomolecules: Effect and Solutions)
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Review

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16 pages, 513 KiB  
Review
Biotechnological Approaches to Lowering the Ethanol Yield during Wine Fermentation
by Ramon Gonzalez, Andrea M. Guindal, Jordi Tronchoni and Pilar Morales
Biomolecules 2021, 11(11), 1569; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11111569 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3538
Abstract
One of the most prominent consequences of global climate warming for the wine industry is a clear increase of the sugar content in grapes, and thus the alcohol level in wines. Among the several approaches to address this important issue, this review focuses [...] Read more.
One of the most prominent consequences of global climate warming for the wine industry is a clear increase of the sugar content in grapes, and thus the alcohol level in wines. Among the several approaches to address this important issue, this review focuses on biotechnological solutions, mostly relying on the selection and improvement of wine yeast strains for reduced ethanol yields. Other possibilities are also presented. Researchers are resorting to both S. cerevisiae and alternative wine yeast species for the lowering of alcohol yields. In addition to the use of selected strains under more or less standard fermentation conditions, aerobic fermentation is increasingly being explored for this purpose. Genetic improvement is also playing a role in the development of biotechnological tools to counter the increase in the wine alcohol levels. The use of recombinant wine yeasts is restricted to research, but its contribution to the advancement of the field is still relevant. Furthermore, genetic improvement by non-GMO approaches is providing some interesting results, and will probably result in the development of commercial yeast strains with a lower alcohol yield in the near future. The optimization of fermentation processes using natural isolates is, anyway, the most probable source of advancement in the short term for the production of wines with lower alcohol contents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Grape and Wine Biomolecules: Effect and Solutions)
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19 pages, 1360 KiB  
Review
Prevalence and Management of Alkyl-Methoxypyrazines in a Changing Climate: Viticultural and Oenological Considerations
by Gary J. Pickering, Jim Willwerth, Andreea Botezatu and Margaret Thibodeau
Biomolecules 2021, 11(10), 1521; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11101521 - 15 Oct 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2893
Abstract
Alkyl-methoxypyrazines are an important class of odor-active molecules that contribute green, ‘unripe’ characters to wine and are considered undesirable in most wine styles. They are naturally occurring grape metabolites in many cultivars, but can also be derived from some Coccinellidae species when these [...] Read more.
Alkyl-methoxypyrazines are an important class of odor-active molecules that contribute green, ‘unripe’ characters to wine and are considered undesirable in most wine styles. They are naturally occurring grape metabolites in many cultivars, but can also be derived from some Coccinellidae species when these ‘ladybugs’ are inadvertently introduced into the must during harvesting operations. The projected impacts of climate change are discussed, and we conclude that these include an altered alkyl-methoxypyrazine composition in grapes and wines in many wine regions. Thus, a careful consideration of how to manage them in both the vineyard and winery is important and timely. This review brings together the relevant literatures on viticultural and oenological interventions aimed at mitigating alkyl-methoxypyrazine loads, and makes recommendations on their management with an aim to maintaining wine quality under a changing and challenging climate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Grape and Wine Biomolecules: Effect and Solutions)
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