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Geographical origin, cultivar, and olive ripening stage are important factors which affect the typical flavor profile of extra virgin olive oils. Aromatic compounds and sensorial profiles of 'Casaliva', 'Frantoio', and 'Leccino' olive oils from three different Italian production regions Abruzzo (eastern-central Italy), Lombardy (northern Italy), and Tuscany (western-central Italy) were assessed in two cropping years and at three olive ripening stages (green, veraison, and ripe). The chemical aromatic compounds were more effective in discriminating the oils than their sensorial attributes. Oils showed peculiar aromatic and sensorial profiles according to their region of origin. Genetically similar 'Casaliva' and 'Frantoio' showed also analogous profiles, but distinct from 'Leccino'. The interaction between regions of cultivation and cultivars significantly affected the flavor profiling. Practical applications: This research provides a sound proof that geographical origin, cultivar, and fruit ripening stage, could play an important interactive role in shaping the flavor profiling of extra virgin olive oils. This represents a scientific basis of the 'typicality' concept, which should address the marketing strategies for exploiting of the PDO products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The flavor profile of extra virgin olive oil is an important quality factor to differentiate the market opportunities and to increase the value of Protected Designation of Origin products. The volatile compounds and sensory notes of ‘Casaliva’ and ‘Leccino’ olive oils from 16 olive orchards near lake Garda, northern Italy, were analyzed for three years. Results showed that in this specific mesoclimate the aromatic olive oil quality depends firstly on the year and secondly on the cultivar. ‘Casaliva’ oils showed a higher content of volatiles (aldehydes and compounds from LOX) and phenols, higher ‘green’, ‘fruity’ and ‘taste’ notes than ‘Leccino’. The most effective in separating cultivars were: trans-2-hexenal, cis-2-penten-1-ol, trans-2-hexen-1-ol, total phenols, ‘lawn’, ‘olives’ and ‘bitter’ sensory descriptors. The cultivar×year interaction also significantly differentiated and characterized quality and typicality of oils. Moreover, this study showed that oils volatile compounds were more significant than sensory evaluation in discriminating the cultivars and the years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Grape temperature is a crucial driving variable for the wide variety of biochemical and physiological processes taking place during berry ripening which determine the oenological quality potential of grapes. The aim of this work is to develop, calibrate and validate a model simulating surface berry temperature (BerryTone), taking into account the effect of different sun exposures and leaf shadings. BerryTone has been developed using a mechanistic approach founded on the energy balance and it is driven only by maximum and minimum daily air temperatures. Calibration and validation have been carried out on independent dataset in Northern Italy during 2005 and 2006. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the model in other environmental conditions, a further test on a time series from 2008 in Central Italy was also carried out. Final results show that the model satisfactorily described berry thermal behaviour under solar forcing for different exposures, improving upon the description usually given by air temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sensory quality is an important property of virgin olive oil and is affected by different volatile and phenolic compounds. Their levels may be influenced by many factors, and one of the most important is the cultivar. Volatiles and phenols were correlated to sensory notes in virgin olive oils from 18 local cultivars in northern Italy assessed for 4 years in the same orchard. Most of the volatile and phenolic compounds showed an average content higher than odor and taste thresholds, explaining the correlations to sensory attributes. Some volatile compounds (e.g. ethanol, 2-methyl-propan-1-ol, pentan-1-ol, cis-2-penten-1-ol, cis-3-hexen-1-ol and octan-1-ol) and sensory attributes (e.g. ‘flowers’, ‘banana’, ‘apple’, ‘walnut’, ‘hay’, ‘butter’, ‘sweet’, ‘floral’ and ‘fruity’ notes) were found as cultivar dependent. Some cultivars, with a similar aromatic content, showed also analogous sensorial profile. ‘Favarol’, ‘Casaliva 1’, ‘Raza’, ‘Casaliva 2’, ‘Gargnà’, ‘Mitria’, ‘Miniol’, and ‘Rossanello’ resulted in the same aromatic group, characterized by an average volatiles content, and in three close affinity groups with a middle sensorial profile. Moreover, ‘Maurino’ was always isolated, showing peculiar profiles. Local cultivars ‘Casaliva 1’, ‘Cornarol’, ‘Grignano’, ‘Trepp’ and ‘Regina’ overall have shown peculiar flavor profiles. Therefore, some of these often-underutilized cultivars could be employed in the new orchards in order to take advantage of their superior oil quality traits, in addition to some positive horticultural aspects. This could be particularly crucial for the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) oils, where the mere geographical origin could not be enough in favoring olive oil characterization and consumption, if sensorial and/or nutritional attributes are also not differentiated within a standard commercial commodity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Salinity represents a very limiting factor that affects the fertility of agricultural soils. Although grapevine is moderately susceptible to salinity, both natural causes and agricultural practices could worsen the impact of this abiotic stress. A promising possibility to reduce this problem in vineyards is the use of appropriate graft combinations. The responses of grapevine rootstocks to this abiotic stress at the root level still remain poorly investigated. In order to obtain further information on the multifaceted responses induced by salt stress at the biochemical level, in the present work we analyzed the changes that occurred under control and salt conditions in the root proteomes of two grapevine rootstock genotypes, M4 and 101.14. Moreover, we compared the results considering that M4 and 101.14 were previously described to have lower and higher susceptibility to salt stress, respectively. This study highlighted the greater capability of M4 to maintain and adapt energy metabolism (i.e., synthesis of ATP and NAD(P)H) and to sustain the activation of salt-protective mechanisms (i.e., Na sequestration into the vacuole and synthesis of osmoprotectant compounds). Comparitively, in 101.14 the energy metabolism was deeply affected and there was an evident induction of the enzymatic antioxidant system that occurred, pointing to a metabolic scenario typical of a suffering tissue. Overall, this study describes for the first time in grapevine roots some of the more crucial events that characterize positive (M4) or negative (101.14) responses evoked by salt stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Georgia, in the Caucasian region, is considered the first domestication centre of grapevine. This country is characterized by high morphological variability of cultivated (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sativa (DC.) Hegi) and wild (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmel.) Hegi) compartments. The main objective of this study was to investigate the level of genetic diversity obtained by the novel custom Vitis18kSNP array, in order to analyse 71 grapevine accessions representative of wild and cultivated Georgian germplasms. Results: The number of loci successfully amplified was 15,317 out of 18,775 SNP and 79 % of loci resulted polymorphic. Sixty-eight unique profiles were identified, 42 for the sativa and 26 for the sylvestris compartment. Cluster analysis highlighted two main groups, one for cultivars and another for wild individuals, while a genetic structure according to accession taxonomic status and cultivar geographical origin was revealed by multivariate analysis, differentiating clearly the genotypes into 3 main groups, two groups including cultivars and one for wild individuals, even though a considerable overlapping area was observed. Conclusions: Pattern of genetic diversity structure presented an additional proof that grapevine domestication events took place in the Caucasian region contributing to the crop evolution. Our results demonstrated a moderate differentiation between sativa and sylvestris compartments, even though a connection between several samples of both subspecies may be assumed for the occurrence of cross hybridization events among native wild populations and the cultivated accessions. Nevertheless, first degree relationships have not been discovered between wild and cultivated individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Tannins have a physiological and enological central role in grapes. [•] A separation method for vacuolar, non-covalent and covalent bonded tannins was developed. [•] Cultivar, exposition and Ethephon treatment effects are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Copigmentation is a very important contributor to colour in young red wines. Further understanding of the copigmentation effect has been elucidated by investigating the contribution of various fractions of grapes – skin, pulp, and seed – in varieties Shiraz, Sangiovese and Pinot Noir. A series of spectrophotometric and HPLC experiments elucidated the effect of this interaction in grape extracts simulating wine conditions. A post-column reaction method was developed to permit the evaluation of the reactivity of each grape anthocyanin with different reagents: pure compounds (quercetin and caffeic acid) and extracts of grape sections (seed, Semillon skin, Semillon pulp). Certain extracts produced a decrease in colour, suggesting that competing equilibria are important in the copigmentation effect and that an “anti-copigmentation” effect is possible. Flavonols appear to be the best copigmentation cofactors, and the concentration of quercetin 3-O-glucoside was found to correlate with the strength of copigmentation. Flavonols appear capable of displacing cofactors derived from seed extracts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The discovery of new mechanisms of resistance and natural bioactive molecules could be two of the possible ways to reduce fungicide use in vineyard and assure an acceptable and sustainable protection against Plasmopara viticola , the grapevine downy mildew agent. Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as terpenes, norisoprenoids, alcohols and aldehydes, is frequently induced in plants in response to attack by pathogens, such as P. viticola , that is known to cause a VOCs increment in cultivars harboring American resistance traits. In this study, the role of leaf VOCs in the resistance mechanism of two resistant cultivars (Mgaloblishvili, a pure Vitis vinifera cultivar, and Bianca, an interspecific hybrid) and the direct antimicrobial activity of four selected VOCs have been investigated. The leaf VOCs profiles, analyzed through solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, as well as the expression of six terpene synthases (TPSs), were determined upon pathogen inoculation. In both cultivars, the expression pattern of six TPSs increased soon after pathogen inoculation and an increment of nine VOCs has been detected. While in Mgaloblishvili VOCs were synthesized early after P. viticola inoculation, they constituted a late response to pathogen in Bianca. All the four terpenes (farnesene, nerolidol, ocimene and valencene), chosen according to the VOC profiles and gene expression analysis, caused a significant reduction (53–100%) in P. viticola sporulation. These results support the role of VOCs into defense mechanisms of both cultivars and suggest their potential role as a natural and eco-friendly solution to protect grapevine from P. viticola. • P. viticola infection induces the biosynthesis of VOCs in grapevine cultivars. • The terpene synthase genes are expressed following P. viticola colonization. • Farnesene, nerolidol, ocimene and valencene counteract P. viticola infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the complexity of the vine plant's response to water deficit represents a major challenge for sustainable winegrowing. Regulation of water use requires a coordinated action between scions and rootstocks on which cultivars are generally grafted to cope with phylloxera infestations. In this regard, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach was applied on an 'ad hoc' association mapping panel including different Vitis species, in order to dissect the genetic basis of transpiration-related traits and to identify genomic regions of grape rootstocks associated with drought tolerance mechanisms. The panel was genotyped with the GrapeReSeq Illumina 20 K SNP array and SSR markers, and infrared thermography was applied to estimate stomatal conductance values during progressive water deficit. Results: In the association panel the level of genetic diversity was substantially lower for SNPs loci (0.32) than for SSR (0.87). GWAS detected 24 significant marker-trait associations along the various stages of drought-stress experiment and 13 candidate genes with a feasible role in drought response were identified. Gene expression analysis proved that three of these genes (VIT_13s0019g03040, VIT_17s0000g08960, VIT_18s0001g15390) were actually induced by drought stress. Genetic variation of VIT_17s0000g08960 coding for a raffinose synthase was further investigated by resequencing the gene of 85 individuals since a SNP located in the region (chr17_10,497,222_C_T) was significantly associated with stomatal conductance. Conclusions: Our results represent a step forward towards the dissection of genetic basis that modulate the response to water deprivation in grape rootstocks. The knowledge derived from this study may be useful to exploit genotypic and phenotypic diversity in practical applications and to assist further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The pathway of anthocyanin biosynthesis, and its alterations leading to berry colour modification, are well known in grape skin. This variability could affect both quantity and quality of pigment accumulation. OBJECTIVE: The present work is focused on 15 grapevine cultivars selected to represent a high variability in the phenotypical colour traits in order to highlight new polymorphisms related to the flavonoid pathway. METHODS: Twenty-one genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway of anthocyanins were studied via targeted resequencing and were correlated with phenotypic data (anthocyanin profiles and spectroscopy indices). RESULTS: Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and InDel (insertion/deletion) polymorphisms were detected. Out of 1751 polymorphic loci, 68% were SNPs and 32% were InDels (568). Cluster analysis and SPLS-DA were used to investigate the genetic relationships among the cultivars, confirming the large range of phenotypical variability. Statistically significant correlations were detected between accumulation of cyanidin-based anthocyanins and genetic polymorphisms in two structural genes and one transcription factor putatively involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The understanding of the polymorphisms related to the anthocyanin accumulation could support future selection of new pink table grape varieties with increased appeal on the consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidations in grape berries are gaining major interest as they affect grape characteristics and quality. Considering berries, Reactive Oxygen Species are involved in the responses to both ripening process and stresses, including photooxidative sunburn. Redox metabolism involves a multitude of chemical and enzymatic reactions. In this study, four white grape cultivars were examined for natural ripening and photooxidative sunburn effects (obtained in artificial conditions) on berry pigmentation, chemical composition and enzymatic activity. The measured parameters included reflectance spectra, pigmentation (including berry browning), content of photosynthetic pigments, organic acid profiles, antioxidant activity, concentrations of antioxidants (total phenolics, ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione), enzymatic activities (guaiacol peroxidases, ascorbate peroxidase and catalase). The effects of the treatment (natural ripening and artificial photooxidative sunburn) on each considered parameter are described in the paper. Photooxidative sunburn strongly affected the contents of antioxidants and chlorophylls, increased the browning index and modulated the enzymatic activities investigated. Samples clearly clustered depending on the oxidation status. Furthermore, the PCA highlighted the similarities and differences in the responses to oxidative stress during ripening and photooxidative sunburn. PCA produced five functions with eigenvalues higher than 1, representing 87.03% of the total variability. In particular, the scores of the function 1 discriminated the samples based on the oxidation status, while the function 2 separated the samples based on the sampling date, representing the physiological responses characteristic of ripening. Our work sheds light on this topic, and will allow a more conscious vineyard management, thus supporting the agricultural adaptation to climate changes. • Ripening and artificial sunburn effects were studied in 4 white grape cultivars. • Chemical and enzymatic redox metabolisms were investigated. • PCA produced five functions with eigenvalues higher than 1. • Function 1 is representative of sample oxidation and function 2 of natural ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Epicuticular waxes limits sunburn browning in grapevine berries. • Sunburn effects were studied in 10 white berries vitis vinifera genotypes. • Disruption of epicuticular waxes affect grape optical properties. • Photosynthetic pigments are lost in berries without epicuticular waxes. Epicuticular waxes on grapevine berry cuticle provide protection of the inner tissues from biotic and abiotic stresses. However, little is known about their role in protecting grape epidermis from sunburn damages. This study investigated the effect of wax disruption in ten sun-exposed white skinned Vitis vinifera L. varieties. Browning symptom appearance was quantified one day and four days after wax disruption. It was also examined the content of the main photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a , chlorophyll b and carotenoids) and total phenolics in the skins four days after the treatment. The disruption of epicuticular waxes promoted grape sunburn: the skin browning intensity increased from 39.8 to 67.1 after one day and four days from the treatment, respectively. The loss of green color after wax disruption resulted from the degradation of chlorophyll a , since its content in the treated berries (9.01 μg g−1 of skin) was lower than that in the control berries (17.16 μg g−1) after four days from the treatment. The co-occurrence of wax disruption in a sunlight excess environment caused also the photo-oxidation of carotenoids, which were higher in control berries (19.86 μg g−1) than in the treated berries (14.51 μg g−1). The browning intensity and the difference in the total phenolics of the skins between treated and control berries were significantly correlated, suggesting that the polymerization of phenolics into brown compounds after wax disruption could further enhance browning symptoms. Therefore, epicuticular waxes could be considered as an important natural coating for grapes, providing defence against water loss and pest or pathogen attacks, but also effectively limiting sunburn browning and maintaining quality for both wine grapes and table grapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Roots play a central role in plant response to water stress (WS). They are involved in its perception and signalling to the leaf as well as in allowing the plant to adapt to maintaining an adequate water balance. Only a few studies have investigated the molecular/biochemical responses to WS in roots of perennial plants, such as grapevine. This study compares two grapevine rootstock genotypes (i.e. 101.14 and M4) with different tolerance to WS, evaluating the responses at proteomic and metabolite levels. Results: WS induced changes in the abundance of several proteins in both genotypes (17 and 22% of the detected proteins in 101.14 and M4, respectively). The proteomic analysis revealed changes in many metabolic pathways that fitted well with the metabolite data. M4 showed metabolic responses which were potentially able to counteract the WS effects, such as the drop in cell turgor, increased oxidative stress and loss of cell structure integrity/functionality. However, in 101.14 it was evident that the roots were suffering more severely from these effects. We found that many proteins classified as active in energy metabolism, hormone metabolism, protein, secondary metabolism and stress functional classes showed particular differences between the two rootstocks. Conclusion: The proteomic/metabolite comparative analysis carried out provides new information on the possible biochemical and molecular strategies adopted by grapevine roots to counteract WS. Although further work is needed to define in detail the role(s) of the proteins and metabolites that characterize WS response, this study, involving the M4 rootstock genotype, highlights that osmotic responses, modulations of C metabolism, mitochondrial functionality and some specific responses to stress occurring in the roots play a primary role in Vitis spp. tolerance to this type of abiotic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims at the identification and discrimination of mineral deficiency symptoms by reflectance spectroscopy. Vitis vinifera L. plants were subjected to 5 different hydroponic mineral nutrition: control and iron, magnesium, nitrogen and potassium deficiencies. Basal, young and apical leaves were studied. Spectra were collected along veins, in interveinal areas and in leaf margins. Reflectance spectroscopy appeared to be able to discriminate the mineral deficiencies, producing characteristic pigmentations and symptom distribution. These results appeared to be coherent with the physiological role of each nutrient. The most promising target in terms of leaf position and wavelengths of interest were identified for each condition. Mineral deficiencies also produced specific pigment distribution within the same plant, suggesting the possibility of symptom identifications also without the availability of well-fed control plants in field conditions. The reflectance spectral feature of the leaves could support the identification of mineral deficiencies in field conditions. These results could support further researches, including index development for symptom intensity quantifications and definition of threshold values for fertilization management. Due to the rapidity and low cost of the technique, future applications could support both technical requests and scientific researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work is to investigate the Holocenic climate cycles that may have influenced the domestication of grapevine in the Subcaucasian area and its subsequent spread in Eurasia. The analysis covered the longitudinal belt ranging from the Iberian Peninsula to Japan, seen as the preferential pathway for the Holocenic spread of grapevine and many other crops in Eurasia. Spectral analysis was considered as the criterion of investigation and the Holocenic cycles were analyzed considering different geochemical and biological proxies, of which seven are directly referred to vine. In this context the relation of the abovementioned proxies with spectral peaks of possible causal factors like Solar activity (SA), North Atlantic oceanic factors (Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation - AMO and North Atlantic Oscillation - NAO), and subtropical oceanic factors (El Nino Southern Oscillation - ENSO) was also analyzed. In order to acquire a sufficiently wide number of proxies sensitive to the causal factors, we referred to a latitudinal belt wider than the one colonized by vine, also acquiring proxy from the Scandinavian area, notoriously susceptible to North Atlantic forcings. The analysis of the proxy spectral peaks, considering 20 classes with a 50-years step in the 0–1000 years range, showed that the 50% of the classes have a higher frequency of peaks at East than West, the 20% a higher frequency at West than East and the 10% an equal frequency, showing the efficiency of the propagation of Western signals towards the center of Eurasia. The search of the causal factors spectral peaks in the proxy series showed that AMO, NAO and SA acted with a certain regularity on the entire belt investigated both latitudinally and longitudinally, while spectral peaks linked to ENSO underwent a considerable attenuation moving northward. Finally, the specific analysis on viticultural proxies showed common peaks with causal factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolic ripening represents a major interest for quality wine producers. Nevertheless, climatic or genotypical limitations can often prevent optimal maturation process. During winemaking seeds can be easily separated and technologically processed to improve their quality. Relying on the key role of oxidation for phenolic ripening, a freeze-thaw treatment was proposed to improve the fruit quality for potential use in challenging growing conditions. The experiment was carried on in two distinctive viticultural areas, Michigan and Italy. Five cultivars (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot noir and Chambourcin) and six cultivars (Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Syrah, Croatina, Barbera and Nebbiolo) were used in Michigan and Italy, respectively. Samples were collected at different phenological stages, to describe the natural ripening process and grape seeds were characterized before and after a freeze-thaw treatment. Colorimetric and spectrophotometric data highlighted similarities among natural and artificial seed ripening promising future applications for the wine industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical analyses of ancient organic compounds absorbed into the pottery fabrics from sites in Georgia in the South Caucasus region, dating to the early Neolithic period (ca. 6,000-5,000 BC), provide the earliest biomolecular archaeological evidence for grape wine and viniculture from the Near East, at ca. 6,000-5,800 BC. The chemical findings are corroborated by climatic and environmental reconstruction, together with archaeobotanical evidence, including grape pollen, starch, and epidermal remains associated with a jar of similar type and date. The very large-capacity jars, some of the earliest pottery made in the Near East, probably served as combination fermentation, aging, and serving vessels. They are the most numerous pottery type at many sites comprising the so-called "Shulaveri- Shomutepe Culture" of the Neolithic period, which extends into western Azerbaijan and northern Armenia. The discovery of early sixth millennium BC grape wine in this region is crucial to the later history of wine in Europe and the rest of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work aims at the description of the iron deficiency symptoms in grapevine leaves by reflectance spectroscopy at the plant and leaf levels. 5 genotypes of Vitis spp. were selected and grown in hydroponic conditions with and without iron supply. 450 spectra were collected among basal, young and apical leaves, as well as veins and interveinal areas. Iron deficiency produced significant and characteristic modifications in the pigment accumulation, proportion and distribution in plants. Basal leaves resulted to have higher concentrations of photosynthetic pigments in stressed plants with respect to the control, probably due to compensation effects. Iron deficient plants had lower chlorophyll concentrations in young and apical leaves. In the apical zone, also the relative composition of pigments appeared to be modified, explaining the reddish-yellowish apex appearance of iron deficient vines. Finally, the pigment distribution along the shoot characterized the symptoms, as well as the spectral variations among veins and interveinal areas. These results could support future applications in vineyard management (e.g.: symptom identification and detection; precision fertilization) as well as breeding programs for new rootstock selections (e.g.: fast screenings of seedlings). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence from a preliminary survey highlighted that 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani', the etiological agent of bois noir (BN) disease of grapevine, infects grapevine varieties in Georgia, a countiy of the South Caucasus. In this study, field surveys were carried out to investigate the BN symptom severity in international and Georgian native varieties. Ca. P. solani' was detected and identified by polymerase chain reactionbased amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 16S ribosomal DNA, and further characterized by multiple gene typing analysis (vmpl and stamp genes). Obtained data highlighted that the majority of Georgian grapevine varieties showed moderate and mild symptoms, whereas international cultivars exhibited severe symptoms. Molecular characterization of 'Co. P. solani' from grapevine revealed the presence of 11 distinct phytoplasma types. Only one type (VmGe12/StGe7) was identical to a strain previously reported in periwinkle from Lebanon; the other 'Co. P. solani' types are described here for the first time. Phylogenetic analyses of vmpl and stamp gene concatenated nucleotide sequences showed that 'Co. P. solani' strains in Georgia are associated mainly with the bindweed-related BN host system. Moreover, the fact that 'Ca. P. solani' strains are distributed in grapevine cultivars showing a range of symptom intensity suggests a different susceptibility of such local cultivars to BN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild Euro-Asiatic grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi) is an opportunistic liana with reproductive patterns characterized both by vegetative propagation and sexual reproduction. Vegetative propagation would ensure a rapid vine regeneration and land colonization, while sexual reproduction would assure genetic recombination and chromosome re-assortment crucial for evolution and survival of the species. The aim of this study was the analysis of the parentage relationships within and between fourteen Italian wild grapevine populations, in order to characterize the natural mating system of this taxon. Beside parentage relationship analyses, the estimation of genetic diversity, genetic distance and genetic differentiation were assessed. The populations showed a good extent of genetic diversity and low levels of genetic distance and isolation between them, indicating gene flow among sites. This result was supported by parentage relationships between different populations. Nevertheless, populations from North Italy showed the lowest genetic diversity, while internal relatedness and inbreeding estimation values were higher than the populations from Central and Southern Italy. One of the northern populations resulted particularly high in inbreeding intensity. The parentage relationship analysis pointed out in all sites a, sometimes active, sexual reproduction within populations. Seed dispersal by frugivorous vectors among neighbouring sites seemed less frequent and depending on specific environmental circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Color has a fundamental role for the qualitative evaluation and cultivar characterization of fruits. In grape, a normally functional pigment biosynthesis leads to the accumulation of a high quantity of anthocyanins. In this work, 28 Vitis vinifera L. cultivars accumulating low anthocyanins in berries were studied to characterize the biosynthetic dysfunctions in both a phenotypic and genotypic point of view. Reflectance spectroscopy, HPLC profiles and molecular markers related to VvMybA1 and VvMybA2 genes allowed a detailed description of the pigment-related characteristics of these cultivars. Data were consistent concerning the heterozygosity of the non-functional allele in both investigated genes, resulting in a low colored phenotype as described by reflectance. However, the variability in berry colour among our samples was not fully explained by MybA locus, probably due to specific interferences among the biosynthetic pathways, as suggested by the anthocyanin profile variations detected among our samples. The results presented in this work confirmed the importance of the genetic background: grapes accumulating high levels of cyanidin-3-O-glucosides (di-substituted anthocyanin) are generally originated by white cultivar retro-mutations and they seem to preserve the anomalies in the flavonoid hydroxylases enzymes which negatively affect the synthesis of tri-substituted anthocyanins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibility of recovering amplifiable DNA from sparkling wine produced by Champenoise method was investigated. Indeed, the sensory refining of this product occurs through the yeast autolysis with the release of cellular components, including nucleic acids. An efficient and reliable method to purify DNA is provided coupling two purification treatments: organic solvents and magnetic beads that have never been applied before on wine. The yield of DNA extraction ranged between 10 and 60 %. Starting from 150 mL spiked samples, up to 0.1-0.6 pg of yeast DNA was detected, potentially corresponding to about 4-24 cells of a diploid strain of S. cerevisiae. After development of new primers, the performance of the protocol was validated in real-time PCR by targeting the ITS region of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one of the main species involved in the secondary fermentation. The monitoring of sparkling wines during the ageing on lees was carried out in four wineries in Franciacorta and Oltrepò Pavese areas up to 2 years from the tirage to wine samples ready for the market as well. Results show that DNA extraction and amplification are properly obtained all along the times, for the species identification; however, after 16 months of ageing, a pre-amplification step needed to be introduced to the procedure for finding a specific signal. Because of the strong DNA degradation, the typing of the inoculated strain or the grape cultivar was not achieved in commercialized wine samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In grape berries, extreme oxidative stress results in skin tissue bleaching and brownish areas appearance. Thus, these damages could negatively affect the fruit quality and the commercial value. The paper focuses on the chlorophyll roles in sunburn symptoms appearance in white skinned grape berries. In the present work, 20 cultivars were studied in three phenological stages. Berries were kept under temperature and light controlled conditions. Chlorophyll content and symptom appearance were quantified by reflectance spectroscopy indexes. The central role of radiation (and, thus, photo-oxidative damages) in berry sunburn injuries was underlined. Cultivars were classified, based on their susceptible or tolerant responses to radiation excess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Grape anthocyanins colors were rationalized using quantum chemistry calculations. [•] Absorption differences related to pigment substitutions were explained. [•] Intramolecular copigmentation was rationalized for acylated pigments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: ‘Ribolla Gialla’ is a very old grape variety cultivated today in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in north-eastern Italy. The historical reputation of this variety in central Eastern Europe was strongly related to the vast distribution of the Venetian Republic markets. In the 1960s, the interest of Italian winegrowers in ‘Ribolla Gialla’ decreased and it was replaced by international varieties. Despite historical documents reporting the longstanding tradition of ‘Ribolla Gialla’ cultivation and winemaking in Friuli Venezia Giulia, the origin of this variety is still questionable. The aims of this work were to study the genetic identity of ‘Ribolla Gialla’ and to investigate the possible genetic relationships with ‘Rebula’ and ‘Robola’ that have been traditionally cultivated in other European Countries (Goriška brda in Slovenia and Kefalonia Island in Greece). For this purpose, 35 SSR loci were analyzed to fingerprint 19 accessions with denominations or morphologies that are similar to ‘Ribolla Gialla’. The Italian ‘Ribolla Gialla’ accessions (#5) and the Slovenian ‘Rebula’ accessions (#2) revealed identical genotypes in all 35 analyzed SSR markers, and can therefore be confirmed as synonyms. The group of Greek ‘Robola’ accessions resulted as the most heterogeneous, showing several distinct allelic profiles. By phylogenetic analysis, two ‘Robola’ accessions were clustered with ‘Ribolla Gialla’ (or ‘Rebula’), and parentage analysis strongly suggested a full-siblings relationship between ‘Ribolla Gialla’ and ‘Robola’. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper shows the results of the investigation on some ecological aspects and on the sanitary status of the wild Euroasiatic native grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi) in Georgia (South Caucasus). This taxon is seriously endangered by human activities such as forest cleaning and setting fires. Moreover, invasive Vitaceae of the North American origin, imported after phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch) when vineyards were being replanted, increase the risk to lose these spontaneous vines. The survey includes collection of data on the population structure, the plant sex ratio, the main botanical supporters of the vines and the associated flora, the presence of invasive vines of the North American origin and the incidence of phytophagous arthropods and pathogens. The phytosanitary study showed that monophagous eriophyid mites and exotic fungal diseases, such as downy (Plasmopara viticola (Berkeley and Curtis) Berlease and de Toni) and powdery mildews (Erysiphe necator –(Schweinitz) Burrill), cause symptoms on all the observed populations. The absence of symptoms caused by phylloxera, root-knot nematodes and root rot is remarkable. However, the level of detected injuries caused by these parasitic organisms does not seem to be a real problem for the survival of the populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Grape ripening represents the third phase of the double sigmoidal curve of berry development and is characterized by deep changes in the organoleptic characteristics. In this process, the skin plays a central role in the synthesis of many compounds of interest (e.g. anthocyanins and aroma volatiles) and represents a fundamental protective barrier against damage by physical injuries and pathogen attacks. In order to improve the knowledge on the role of this tissue during ripening, changes in the protein expression in the skin of the red cultivar Barbera at five different stages from véraison to full maturation were studied by performing a comparative 2-DE analysis. Results: The proteomic analysis revealed that 80 spots were differentially expressed throughout berry ripening. Applying a two-way hierarchical clustering analysis to these variations, a clear difference between the first two samplings (up to 14 days after véraison) and the following three (from 28 to 49 days after véraison) emerged, thus suggesting that the most relevant changes in protein expression occurred in the first weeks of ripening. By means of LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis, 69 proteins were characterized. Many of these variations were related to proteins involved in responses to stress (38%), glycolysis and gluconeogenesis (13%), C-compounds and carbohydrate metabolism (13%) and amino acid metabolism (10%). Conclusion: These results give new insights to the skin proteome evolution during ripening, thus underlining some interesting traits of this tissue. In this view, we observed the ripening-related induction of many enzymes involved in primary metabolism, including those of the last five steps of the glycolytic pathway, which had been described as down-regulated in previous studies performed on whole fruit. Moreover, these data emphasize the relevance of this tissue as a physical barrier exerting an important part in berry protection. In fact, the level of many proteins involved in (a)biotic stress responses remarkably changed through the five stages taken into consideration, thus suggesting that their expression may be developmentally regulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Oxidation stability is an important property of olive oil quality and is affected by different antioxidant compounds whose levels may be influenced by cultivar, year and place of production. Polyphenols, tocopherols, carotenoids, chlorophylls and fatty acids levels were correlated to oxidative stability in olive oils from three experiments: cultivar influence (18 cultivars assessed for 4 years in the same place); environmental influence by mesoclimatic (4 cultivars from 17 sites in a single region for 4 years) and macroclimate conditions (3 cultivars from 3 different regions for 3 years). Total polyphenols and saturated on polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio were shown to be the major factors in oil antioxidant stability, according to multivariate regression models. Among the surveyed cultivars, oils from ‘Leccino’ and from three ‘local’, minor cultivars (‘Miniol’, ‘Regina’ and ‘Rossanello’) resulted in higher oxidative stability and oils from cultivars grown in Tuscany (central Italy) showed the highest oxidative stability by comparison with northern and southern regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Wine has been produced in Georgia since the 6th millennium BC. The processes of cultivar selection and breeding started with wild grapes Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris Gmel. and included multiple introgression events—from the wild to domestication. This article aims at improving the knowledge concerning the history of winemaking through a comparison of the Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris and subsp. sativa. Grapes of Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris were grown in an ampelographic collection and vintages 2017–2020 were analyzed. The obtained data were compared to a wider dataset available in literature concerning Vitis vinifera subsp. sativa, demonstrating the central role of grape morphology in the domestication process. This evidence suggests that the technological value of the cultivars played an important role in the selection process. In vintages 2017, 2018, and 2019, wines were produced with Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris grapes and compared with Cabernet Sauvignon and Saperavi vinifications. For all the vintages, the fermentations took shorter time for wild grape, despite the highest content of total phenols. Learning from the past, Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris might still be an interesting genetic resource for future breeding programs. Furthermore, the possible combination of wild and domesticated grapes can make possible the production of wines with long ageing, exalting their own characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mgaloblishvili, a Vitis vinifera cultivar, exhibits unique resistance traits against Plasmopara viticola, the downy mildew agent. This offers the unique opportunity of exploring the molecular responses in compatible and incompatible plant-pathogen interaction. In this study, whole transcriptomes of Mgaloblishvili, Pinot noir (a V. vinifera susceptible cultivar), and Bianca (a resistant hybrid) leaves, inoculated and non-inoculated with the pathogen, were used to identify P. viticola effector-encoding genes and plant susceptibility/resistance genes. Multiple effector-encoding genes were identified in P. viticola transcriptome, with remarkable expression differences in relation to the inoculated grapevine cultivar. Intriguingly, five apoplastic effectors specifically associated with resistance in V. vinifera. Gene coexpression network analysis identified specific modules and metabolic changes occurring during infection in the three grapevine cultivars. Analysis of these data allowed, for the first time, the detection in V. vinifera of a putative P. viticola susceptibility gene, encoding a LOB domain-containing protein. Finally, the de novo assembly of Mgaloblishvili, Pinot noir, and Bianca transcriptomes and their comparison highlighted novel candidate genes that might be at the basis of the resistant phenotype. These results open the way to functional analysis studies and to new perspectives in molecular breeding of grapevine for resistance to P. viticola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mountainous region between the Caucasus and China is considered to be the center of domestication for grapevine. Despite the importance of Central Asia in the history of grape growing, information about the extent and distribution of grape genetic variation in this region is limited in comparison to wild and cultivated grapevines from around the Mediterranean basin. The principal goal of this work was to survey the genetic diversity and relationships among wild and cultivated grape germplasm from the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean basin collectively to understand gene flow, possible domestication events and adaptive introgression. Results: A total of 1378 wild and cultivated grapevines collected around the Mediterranean basin and from Central Asia were tested with a set of 20 nuclear SSR markers. Genetic data were analyzed (Cluster analysis, Principal Coordinate Analysis and STRUCTURE) to identify groups, and the results were validated by Nei's genetic distance, pairwise FST analysis and assignment tests. All of these analyses identified three genetic groups: G1, wild accessions from Croatia, France, Italy and Spain; G2, wild accessions from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia; and G3, cultivars from Spain, France, Italy, Georgia, Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, which included a small group of wild accessions from Georgia and Croatia. Wild accessions from Georgia clustered with cultivated grape from the same area (proles pontica), but also with Western Europe (proles occidentalis), supporting Georgia as the ancient center of grapevine domestication. In addition, cluster analysis indicated that Western European wild grapes grouped with cultivated grapes from the same area, suggesting that the cultivated proles occidentalis contributed more to the early development of wine grapes than the wild vines from Eastern Europe. Conclusions: The analysis of genetic relationships among the tested genotypes provided evidence of genetic relationships between wild and cultivated accessions in the Mediterranean basin and Central Asia. The genetic structure indicated a considerable amount of gene flow, which limited the differentiation between the two subspecies. The results also indicated that grapes with mixed ancestry occur in the regions where wild grapevines were domesticated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance and extent of wine consumption in all life aspects at the Holy Land is well documented. The Muslim influence in this region led to the abandonment of winemaking practices, and possible loss of indigenous wine varieties. Here we present a country wide collection of the local grapevine population including wild and cultivated forms, and its characterization by genetic, ampelographic and enological methods. The ampelographic analysis shows clear differences between Sativa and Sylvestris groups in flower, leaf and cluster parameters, and that most Sativa belong to proles orientalis. Genetic population analysis was conducted by analyzing 22 common SSR markers, determining first the unique genotypes, and internally assessing the population's structure, showing the existence of two distinct Sativa and Sylvestris populations, and a third mixed one. Likewise, the relationship between the Israeli grapevine population and grapevine populations in Europe and parts of Asia was investigated, showing that the Israeli Sativa and Sylvestris populations cluster closely together, suggesting a common genetic source. Lastly, the enological characteristics of selected Sativa and Sylvestris genotypes are presented, demonstrating their potential for quality wine production. This research significantly contributes toward the re-establishment of indigenous and traditional local grapevine varieties into the modern international wine industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "IPHEN?a real-time network for phenological monitoring and modelling in Italy" that was published in the previous issue is presented.