Search Results (34)

The valorization of grapevine pruning residues through pyrolysis provides a sustainable approach to agricultural waste management, producing biochar with agricultural use potential and carbon sink functionality. This study investigated pruning residues from 12 grapevine cultivars to evaluate the cultivar effects on biochar properties. Samples were collected along the Croatian coast from Istria to Dalmatia and included six indigenous cultivars (Malvazija istarska, Pošip, Maraština, Teran, Plavina, and Plavac mali) and six introduced cultivars (Chardonnay, Pinot blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah). For each cultivar, residues were collected from three distinct vineyards with three replicates per vineyard. Pyrolysis was conducted in a muffle furnace at 400 °C. The pruning residues showed acidic pH (4.79–5.45), moderate electrical conductivity (1694–2390 µS cm⁻¹), and ash contents of 2.65–3.49% among all cultivars. Significant differences were observed among cultivars in residue carbon content and ash fraction, which were reflected in the resulting biochar. Biochar yield ranged from 32% to 35%, while pH values were alkaline, ranging from 10.20 to 11.13. Total carbon increased from 43.77 to 45.36% in grapevine-pruning residues to 65.88–71.57% in biochar. FT-IR spectra revealed cultivar-dependent variation in aromatic C=C intensification, while SEM analysis indicated differences in pore abundance and surface area (1.63–4.13 m² g⁻¹) between cultivars. These results demonstrate that carbon-dense cultivars produced biochars with greater structural stability, indicating enhanced resistance to decomposition. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyses consistently showed increased aromatic condensation, reduced aliphatic functionality, and greater porosity following pyrolysis. These cultivar-dependent differences highlight pruning residues as a chemically heterogeneous but predictable feedstock, with biochar properties primarily governed by the intrinsic characteristics of the source material. Full article

The production of winter wines in Southeastern Brazil represents a relatively recent but expanding viticultural approach, with increasing adoption across diverse wine-growing regions. This system relies on the double-pruning technique, which allows for the harvest of grapes during the dry and cooler winter season, favoring a greater accumulation of sugars, acids, and phenolic compounds. This study aimed to characterize the phenological stages, thermal requirements, yield, and fruit quality of the fine wine grape cultivars ‘Sauvignon Blanc’, ‘Merlot’, ‘Tannat’, ‘Pinot Noir’, ‘Malbec’, and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ under double-pruning management in a subtropical climate. The vineyard was established in 2020, and two production cycles were evaluated (2022/2023 and 2023/2024). Significant differences in the duration of phenological stages were observed among cultivars, ranging from 146 to 172 days from pruning to harvest. The accumulated thermal demand was higher in the first cycle, with a mean of 1476.9 growing degree days (GDD) across cultivars. The results demonstrate the potential of Vitis vinifera L. cultivars managed with double pruning for high-quality wine production under subtropical conditions, supporting the viability of expanding viticulture in the state of São Paulo. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ and ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ showed the highest yields, reaching 3.03 and 2.75 kg per plant, respectively, with productivity values of up to 10.8 t ha⁻¹. ‘Tannat’ stood out for its high sugar accumulation (23.4 °Brix), while ‘Merlot’ exhibited the highest phenolic (234.9 mg 100 g⁻¹) and flavonoid (15.3 mg 100 g⁻¹) contents. These results highlight the enological potential of the evaluated cultivars and confirm the efficiency of the double-pruning system in improving grape composition and wine quality in non-traditional viticultural regions. Full article

This study evaluates the impact of grape variety and harvesting method—manual versus mechanized—on must composition, wine quality, and economic performance in the Târnave viticultural area of Romania. Four grape varieties—Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Fetească Regală, and Muscat Ottonel—were analyzed. Manual harvesting increased reducing sugars by 4.3–5.1 g/L and decreased titratable acidity by 0.6–0.8 g/L, particularly in Pinot Noir and Muscat Ottonel. Alcohol content was higher by 0.4–0.6 vol% in manually harvested samples, and dry extract increased by 1.0–1.3 g/L. Mechanized harvesting raised catechin concentrations by 15–19 mg/L due to enhanced skin maceration, but also slightly elevated volatile acidity (by ~0.1 g/L). From an economic perspective, labor cost was reduced from 480 lei/ton (approx. EUR 96) for manual harvesting to 120 lei/ton (approx. EUR 24) with mechanization. Fuel and maintenance costs for mechanized equipment averaged 85 lei/ha (EUR 17), and equipment depreciation was estimated at 100 lei/ton (EUR 20). The total harvesting cost per ton decreased from 480–520 lei to 300–320 lei (approx. EUR 96 to EUR 64), representing a ~38% reduction. The study supports a hybrid approach: manual harvesting for sensitive or premium cultivars, and mechanization for cost-efficient, large-scale production, aligning wine quality goals with economic sustainability. Full article

The monitoring of grape maturity is essential for determining the ideal harvest time as well as for obtaining the expected characteristics of grape juice and, consequently, of wine. This study aimed to examine the impact of various laboratory-scale pressing methods on key chemical parameters (sugars, pH, and titratable acidity), as well as on phenolic-related indexes and antioxidant activity, in juices from Chardonnay (six grape samples) and Pinot blanc (two grape samples) across two vintages (2022 and 2023). The grape samples were characterized in terms of total and extractable flavonoids and extractability (%). Four different methods (manual pressing, vacuum pressing, small screw press, and juicer) were applied for producing grape juice. The results showed relevant differences in the extractability among the grape samples up to 64.1% and 43.8% for harvests 2022 and 2023, respectively. Comparable sugar content, pH, and titratable acidity were found in the juice samples independently from the method used. On the contrary, notable variability among the different pressing methods was revealed for phenolic-related indexes and antioxidant activity. The small screw press led to lower total phenol index values across grape batches compared to other methods, while the juice samples obtained with the juicer revealed a composition consistently differing in comparison to the other methods. Raman spectroscopy allowed to clearly classify the juice samples based on the pressing method. Good predictive models were obtained due to the composition of juice samples being clearly distinct among methods. This data suggests that an appropriate pressing method should be adopted for monitoring the grape ripening as well as for simulating the pressing under industrial scale. Full article

Bulgarian wines are renowned worldwide and serve as a symbol of the country. However, ensuring wine authenticity and establishing reliable methods for its assessment are critical challenges in wine quality control. This study investigates the migration of chemical elements within the soil/grape/wine system and utilizes the findings to develop a method for identifying specific elements capable of distinguishing the geographical origin of wine. Additionally, it explores the potential to determine its botanical origin. Thirty monovarietal Bulgarian wines, specifically produced for this study with precisely known geographical and botanical origins, were analyzed for 20 chemical elements. These included macroelements such as Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Sr, and Zn, as well as microelements like As, Cd, Co, Cr, Li, Ni, and Pb. The study encompassed white wines from Chardonnay, Muscat Ottonel, Sauvignon Blanc, Tamyanka, and Viognier varieties, as well as red wines from Egiodola, Broad-Leaved Melnik, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marselan, Melnik, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. The chemical composition was determined in soil extracts (using acetate and EDTA extract to represent the bioavailable fraction), vine leaves, primary musts, and raw wines before clarification and stabilization. Statistically significant correlation coefficients were calculated for the soil/leaves, soil/must, and must/wine systems, enabling an analysis of the migration of chemical elements from soil to wine and the concentration changes throughout the process. The results identified elemental descriptors capable of indicating the geographical origin of wine. Full article

Leaf chlorophyll content is a key indicator of plant physiological status in viticulture; therefore, regular evaluation to obtain data for nutrient supply and canopy management is of vital importance. The measurement of pigmentation is most frequently carried out with hand-held instruments, destructive off-site spectrophotometry, or remote sensing. Moreover, smartphone-based applications also ensure a promising way to collect colorimetric information that could correlate with pigmentation. In this study, four grapevine genotypes were investigated using smartphone-based RGB (Red, Green, Blue) and CIE-L*a*b* colorimetry and a portable chlorophyll meter. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between leaf chlorophyll concentration and RGB- or CIE-L*a*b*-based color indices. A further aim was to find an appropriate model for discriminating between the genotypes by leaf coloration. For these purposes, fully developed leaves of ‘Chardonnay’, ‘Sauvignon blanc’, and ‘Pinot noir’ clones 666 and 777 were investigated with the Color Grab smartphone application to obtain RGB and CIE-L*a*b* values. Using these color values, chroma, hue, and a further 31 color indices were calculated. Chlorophyll concentrations were determined using an Apogee MC100 device, and the values were correlated with color values and color indices. The results showed that the chlorophyll concentration and color indices significantly differed between the genotypes. According to the results, certain color indices show a different direction in their relationship with leaf pigmentation for different grapevine genotypes. The same index showed a positive correlation for the leaf chlorophyll concentration for one variety and a negative correlation for another, which raises the possibility that the relationship is genotype-specific and not uniform within species. In light of this result, further study of the species specificity of the commonly used vegetation indices is warranted. Support Vector Machine (SVM) analysis of the samples based on color properties showed a 71.63% classification accuracy, proving that coloration is an important ampelographic feature for the identification and assessment of true-to-typeness. Full article

The wine market is affected by the origin of wines, but the current wine traceability system has some limitations. The idea of geographical authenticity and quality has increased as one of the most important parameters influencing consumers’ preferences. Chemical parameters such as total polyphenolic content (TPC), alcohol and organic acid content (total acids, malic and tartaric acids), and antioxidant activity were observed in this work at 15 dry white wines of varieties Pinot blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, and Chardonnay, which originated from three different countries. FTIR and spectrophotometry methods (TPC and DPPH) were used and chemometric approaches such as ANOVA and PCA were selected as the most important for evaluation. In general, high levels of malic acid, TPC, and antioxidant activity were detected in Austrian wines. Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon from the same producing region in Austria showed higher results. The higher overall acid concentration was a distinguishing feature of the Slovakian Sauvignon and Riesling varieties, particularly in the case of tartaric acid. Austrian samples showed significantly higher antioxidant activity compared to Hungarian Chardonnay (p = 0.002) and Sauvignon (p = 0.007), comparable to TPC. The application of statistical analysis was useful in demonstrating many discrepancies, particularly by application of the PCA method. Full article

The aging ability of dry white wines has been increasingly recognized. The present work aimed to identify which sensory features drive their quality assessment by experienced tasters. Individuals assessed several sensory attributes, using dark tasting glasses. Wines originated from the grape varieties Alvarinho, Arinto, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Bianco with a wide range of ages. Basic physical–chemical analysis, browning (Abs 420 nm), elemental composition and a partial volatile fraction were also determined. The overall quality scores were a function of complexity and balance and were negatively influenced by the perception of faultiness. The aging process could be associated with a continuous sensory space characterized by a declining perception of freshness and an intensification in the mellowed flavors. Despite their age, wines were characterized by an austere perception caused by their acidity, saltiness, bitterness, smoothness and dryness. Nevertheless, quality scores were similar from the youngest to the oldest tasted wines (17 years old). The exception was a Sauvignon Blanc wine from a recent vintage that was judged as faulty due to the perception of earthiness. Overall, the tasted wines displayed an unexpected aging ability as demonstrated by the difference between the predicted and real wine ages. To improve the recognition of old wines, the metaphor “mellowed by age” is proposed to describe flavors resulting from beneficial aging instead of “oxidized by age”. Full article

(1) Background: Spring frost damage is a common phenomenon that occurs in Southern Chile that considerably affects vine productivity and grape quality. (2) Methods: A field trial was conducted in order to study vine phenology and berry physicochemical parameters in Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir ungrafted and grafted (onto 101-14 Mgt rootstock) grapevines after a spring frost. This event killed the totality of primary bud shoots when the vines reached the phenological stage of unfolded leaves. (3) Results: From budburst, to flowering of secondary bud shoots, ungrafted Sauvignon Blanc grapevines presented an advanced phenology, whereas 101-14 Mgt rootstock tended to advance the maturity of Pinot Noir grapevines from flowering to ripening of berries. At harvest, berries from secondary buds of vines grafted onto 101-14 Mgt rootstock showed higher soluble solids than the ones from ungrafted Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc vines. High total phenolic content was found in berries from secondary buds of the grafted vines, compared to the ones from the ungrafted vines. Berry soluble solids variability tended to statistically decrease toward harvest in the studied plant materials, and the maximum coefficient of variation for soluble solids, berry weight, berry firmness and berry size reached 9.5%, 25.9%, 18.6% and 8.9%, respectively. (4) Conclusions: These preliminary results may be interesting for the Southern Chilean viticulturists since it seems that 101-14 Mgt rootstock could affect phenology and grape berry maturity of grapevines established in the Cautín Valley after spring frost damage. Full article

Grape pomace (GP) has an added value because of its contribution to carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soils when applied as an organic fertilizer. Macronutrients from GP are translocated into the soil after amendment, but little is known about the factors that may influence the mobility of C, N and bioactive molecules, i.e., polyphenols, in the soil column. We investigated the mobility of the macronutrient content of GP, derived from two red (Dornfelder and Pinot noir) and two white grape varieties (Riesling and Pinot blanc). For that, three different soils (loamy sand RefeSol01A, silt loam RefeSol02A and a vineyard soil) were evaluated in a column model using a GP application rate of 30 t ha⁻¹. The three-step lab-scale approach included the analysis of total C, N and polyphenols expressed as total polyphenolic content (TPC) in: (a) the fresh GP, representing the total amount of C, N and TPC; (b) the mobility with rainwater, representing the aqueous extractable fraction and (c) the mobility in the soil column and leaching potential. Our results showed that total C/N ratios were wider in the white GP varieties compared with the red ones. Higher TPC values were measured in Dornfelder and Pinot noir compared with white varieties. Analysis of the water-extractable fraction showed that the C recovery may reach up to 48% in Pinot blanc, which also corresponds to the highest N contribution. Extractable polyphenols were higher in the red compared with the white varieties by a factor of 2.4. C and N were mobilized with rainwater from the GP through the soil column. However, the application rate used in the experiment was not indicative of an accumulation in the soil. Compared with the control (no GP application), C values were significantly higher in the leachates from GP-treated soils, in contrast to N values. Up to 10% of the TPC of the pomace was leached into the soil. The TPC recovery in the soils strongly depended on the combination of soil type and GP variety. Generally, the sandy and more acidic soil showed an even distribution of phenolics with a high recovery rate (up to 92%) compared with more neutral and silty soil. Most of the polyphenol content could accumulate in the upper soil layer (0–10 cm). These results provide the first insights on the mobility of macronutrients in the soil using a column model and point out the need to relate those experiments to soil and GP properties in order to avoid the accumulation of nutrients in soil or mobility to adjacent ecosystems. Full article

Background: Gallium-68 lung perfusion PET/CT is an emerging imaging modality for the assessment of regional lung function, especially to optimise radiotherapy (RT) planning. A key step of lung functional avoidance RT is the delineation of lung functional volumes (LFVs) to be integrated into radiation plans. However, there is currently no consistent and reproducible delineation method for LFVs. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate an automated delineation threshold method based on total lung function for LFVs delineation with Gallium-68 MAA lung PET/CT imaging. Material and Method: Patients prospectively enrolled in the PEGASUS trial—a pilot study assessing the feasibility of lung functional avoidance using perfusion PET/CT imaging for lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of primary or secondary lesion—were analysed. Patients underwent lung perfusion MAA-68Ga PET/CT imaging and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) as part of pre-treatment evaluation. LFVs were delineated using two methods: the commonly used relative to the maximal pixel value threshold method (pmax threshold method, X%pmax volumes) and a new approach based on a relative to whole lung function threshold method (WLF threshold method, FVX% volumes) using a dedicated iterative algorithm. For both methods, LFVs were expressed in terms of % of the anatomical lung volume (AV) and of % of the total lung activity. Functional volumes were compared for patients with normal PFTs and pre-existing airway disease. Results: 60 patients were analysed. Among the 48 patients who had PFTs, 31 (65%) had pre-existing lung disease. The pmax and WLF threshold methods clearly provided different functional volumes with a wide range of relative lung function for a given pmax volume, and conversely, a wide range of corresponding pmax values for a given WLF volume. The WLF threshold method provided more reliable and consistent volumes with much lower dispersion of LFVs as compared to the pmax method, especially in patients with normal PFTs. Conclusions: We developed a relative to whole lung function threshold segmentation method to delineate lung functional volumes on perfusion PET/CT imaging. The automated algorithm allows for reproducible contouring. This new approach, relatively unaffected by the presence of hot spots, provides reliable and consistent functional volumes, and is clinically meaningful for clinicians. Full article

Despite the important roles of lipids in winemaking, changes in lipids during grape ripening are largely unknown for New Zealand (NZ) varieties. Therefore, we aimed to determine the fatty acid profiles and total lipid content in two of NZ’s major grape varieties. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, absolute quantification of 45 fatty acids was determined in Sauvignon blanc (SB) and Pinot noir (PN) grapes harvested at two different stages of ripeness. Lipid concentrations were as high as 0.4 g/g in seeds of both varieties, while pulp contained the least amount. Many unsaturated fatty acids were present, particularly in grape seeds, while skin contained relatively higher amounts of saturated fatty acids that increased throughout ripening. For both varieties, a significant increase in lipid concentration was observed in grapes harvested at the later stage of ripeness, indicating an association between lipids and grape maturity, and providing a novel insight about the use of total lipids as another parameter of grape ripeness. A variety-specific trend in the development and extraction of grape lipids was found from the analysis of the must and ethanolic extracts. Lipid extraction increased linearly with the ethanol concentration and with the extended pomace contact time. More lipids were extracted from the SB pomace to the must than PN within 144 h, suggesting a must matrix effect on lipid extraction. The knowledge generated here is relevant to both industry and academia and can be used to develop lipid diversification strategies to produce different wine styles. Full article

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of sparing functional lung areas by integration of pulmonary functional mapping guided by ⁶⁸Ga-perfusion PET/CT imaging in lung SBRT planification. Sixty patients that planned to receive SBRT for primary or secondary lung tumors were prospectively enrolled. Lung functional volumes were defined as the minimal volume containing 50% (FV50%), 70% (FV70%) and 90% (FV90%) of the total activity within the anatomical volume. All patients had a treatment planning carried out in 2 stages: an anatomical planning blinded to the PET results and then a functional planning respecting the standard constraints but also incorporating “lung functional volume” constraints. The mean lung dose (MLD) in functional volumes and the percentage of lung volumes receiving xGy (VxGy) within the lung functional volumes using both plans were calculated and compared. SBRT planning optimized to spare lung functional regions led to a significant reduction (p < 0.0001) of the MLD and V5 to V20 Gy in all functional volumes. Median relative difference of the MLD in the FV50%, FV70% and FV90% was −8.0% (−43.0 to 1.2%), −7.1% (−34.3 to 1.2%) and −5.7% (−22.3 to 4.4%), respectively. Median relative differences for VxGy ranged from −12.5% to −9.2% in the FV50%, −11.3% to −7.2% in the FV70% and −8.0% to −5.3% in the FV90%. This study shows the feasibility of significantly decreasing the doses delivered to the lung functional volumes using ⁶⁸Ga-perfusion PET/CT while still respecting target volume coverage and doses to other organs at risk. Full article

In the context of sustainability, viticulture will address issues related to soil fertility in the coming period. Greater attention will therefore be paid to replacing traditional manure-based fertilisers, such as farmyard manure, with new types of fertiliser in the form of composts, digestate, etc. Experience to date suggests that good-quality composts are not only a source of nutrients that the vines take from the soil each year, but also a source of organic matter. The application of compost and its subsequent decomposition in the soil profile can have a positive effect on the growth of the roots and above-ground parts of the vine. However, optimising the effects and action of compost is linked to determining the necessary doses and methods of application. The aim of this three-year study was to provide an overview of the results aimed at evaluating the effects of the application of compost (CO) and compost enriched with the addition of lignohumate (CO+L20), at a rate of 30 t·ha⁻¹, in the areas around vineyard tree trunks on selected soil chemical properties and the vegetative growth of the vine (Vitis vinifera L.). The unfertilised variant (CWC) was used as a control. Each variant was established in three replicates that were 20 m long. Experimental measurements and evaluation were carried out in the period of 2018–2020 on two sites with different soil conditions (Lednice and Velké Bílovice) and two different grape varieties (Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris). Meteorological data were continuously monitored during the period under review. Chemical properties of the soil samples of the three experimental variants were determined (e.g., content of organic carbon, humic acids, humic substances, humification rate, etc.). The evaluations that were carried out confirmed that the addition of organic matter in the form of composts to the soil in the CO and CO+L20 variants positively influenced the quality of organic matter. The organic carbon content increased by 56–139% in variants with deep compost application (CO, CO+L20) during the monitored period compared to the CWC, depending on the location. Similarly, the degree of humification increased by 70–84%, and the soil microbial biomass increased by 38–136% in the treated variants compared to the CWC. In addition to the dynamics of the changes in the chemical properties, the aim of the performed measurements was to evaluate the rate of the growth shoots, which was linked to the fertilizing effects of the applied compost in the experimental vineyard. At the site in Velké Bílovice, the total difference in the length of the shoots was higher in the CO by 2.6–4.6% and in the CO+L20 by 7.5–12.5% compared to the CWC. At the site in Lednice, the situation was similar, and the total difference in the length of the shoots was higher in the CO by 4.6–7.2% and in the CO+L20 by 5.3–13.2%. The results that were obtained may constitute an important basis for the management of organic fertilization on plots with different soil conditions and cultivated varieties in order to optimize the vegetative growth of the vine. Full article

The high demand for wine in Europe has increased the impact of viticulture on the environment. In line with European objectives, more sustainable agronomic practices have spread as an alternative to traditional management. This study aimed to compare, in a vineyard of Pinot blanc and Rhine Riesling in northeast Italy, the integrated agronomic practices (INT) with two types of organic management (ORG1—cattle manure and ORG2—green manure), in terms of production, grape quality, pest susceptibility, and soil nutrient availability. The results, after the fifth, sixth, and seventh year of testing, showed that organic management obtained a yield and vegetative features comparable to INT. Grape quality also did not show considerable overall differences between the theses in the must properties, despite the higher total sugar content and lower yeast available in ORG1. In the three-year period, the management of downy mildew, powdery mildew, and rot, as well as the soil fertilization, with the products available in organic farming proved to be comparable to the INT method. The application of cattle manure contributed by enriching the soil in K and P, while a balanced green manure mix has proven to be the best agronomic practice in terms of the release of mineral N during the phenological stages of greatest need of the vine. Organic management appears as an agronomic strategy able quantitatively and qualitatively support the vineyard system. Full article