Extended Harvest Date Alter Flavonoid Composition and Chromatic Characteristics of Plavac Mali (Vitis vinifera L.) Grape Berries

Positive Impact of Late Harvest Date on Polyphenolic Composition of Plavac Mali (Vitis vinifera L.) Wine Depends on Location

Asynchronous ripening is a significant challenge in winemaking. Green berries reduce alcohol and pH while increasing acidity. Green berries are rich in bitter and astringent compounds, with an unknown impact on wine quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of harvest date and vineyard location on the polyphenolic composition of Plavac Mali wines in Dalmatia, Croatia. Experiments were conducted in two locations, Split and Zadar, producing fifteen wines per location from four harvest dates (H1-H4), including green berry wines from H1. The first harvest date occurred 27 days after véraison (DAV) and the last at 69 DAV, corresponding to overripeness. Green berry wines of H1 had low alcohol content up to 4.4% (v/v) in Split. Epigallocatechin was the main flavonoid in those wines, followed by dimer B1 in Split and catechin in Zadar. Green wines from Split had a higher concentration of phenolic acids, flavan-3-ol monomers and dimers. Wines of H3 had the highest concentration of malvidin-3-O-glucoside. With a later harvest date, a dramatic decrease in catechin and dimers was observed in wines from Split, and a decrease in epicatechin, epigallocatechin and dimer B1 in those from Zadar. The final expression of the physiochemical and polyphenolic composition of Plavac Mali wine is determined by the dynamics of harvest date, location and their interactions.

Evolution of Seed-Soluble and Insoluble Tannins during Grape Berry Maturation

Condensed tannins (CT) in wine are derived from the seeds and skins of grapes, and their composition and content contribute to the bitterness/astringency characteristics and ageing potential of the wine. Global warming has accelerated the ripening process of grape berries, making them out of sync with seed ripening. To understand the influence of berry ripening on the seed CT composition and content, we analyzed the changes in the soluble and insoluble CT in the seeds of 'Cabernet Sauvignon' grapes from two vineyards over two years. The results showed that the seed-soluble CT presented a slight downward trend in fluctuation during grape berry development, while the insoluble CT increased continuously before the véraison and remained at a high level afterwards. Relatively speaking, a lower sugar increment in developing grape berries favored the conversion of seed CT towards a higher degree of polymerization. The terminal unit of soluble CT was dominated by epigallocatechin gallate, the content of which decreased as the seeds matured. It is suggested that the seeds should be fully matured to reduce this bitter component in tannins. This study provides a reference for us to control the grape ripening process and produce high-quality grapes for wine making.

Prevalence of Virus Infections and GLRaV-3 Genetic Diversity in Selected Clones of Croatian Indigenous Grapevine Cultivar Plavac Mali

The cultivar Plavac Mali (Vitis vinifera L.), the most important indigenous red grapevine cultivar in Croatia, was tested for the presence of 16 grapevine viruses. Thirty-five samples from the collection vineyard were tested for the presence of grapevine leafroll-associated viruses-1, -2, and -3 (GLRaV-1, GLRaV-2 and GLRaV-3, respectively), grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), grapevine virus-A (GVA), -B (GVB), -G (GVG), -H (GVH), -I (GVI), -J (GVJ), grapevine fleck virus (GFkV), grapevine rupestris stem pitting associated virus (GRSPaV), and grapevine pinot gris virus (GPGV) by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Furthermore, standard PCR was conducted for grapevine badnavirus 1 (GBV-1) and grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV). Mixed infections were most common and GLRaV-3, the most abundant virus found in 85.71% of the vines tested, was further molecularly characterised. Different genomic variants of the heat shock protein homologue (HSP70h) were separated by cloning, detected by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, sequenced, and phylogenetically analysed. The presence of phylogenetic groups I and II was only confirmed. This study demonstrates the high virus infection rate of Plavac Mali vines and the heterogeneity of GLRaV-3 present nowadays in a collection vineyard.

Comparative flavor analysis of four kinds of sweet fermented grains by sensory analysis combined with GC-MS

Four types of cereals (glutinous rice, purple rice, red rice, yellow millet) were selected to produce sweet fermented grains. Flavor profiles of sweet fermented grains are comparatively studied to distinguish various flavor types by using GC-MS, electronic nose (E-nose), and sensory analysis, and the amino acid composition and physicochemical properties of sweet fermented grains were analyzed. The results showed that the volatile compounds of sweet fermented grains were significantly different. Esters and alcohols were the major volatile compounds in sweet fermented grains. The electronic nose, electronic tongue and sensory analysis jointly verified that the volatile components of sweet fermented grains had differences between them. The sweet fermented grains could be classified based on differences in volatile compounds. In the amino acids analysis, Glu, Pro, Asp and Leu were the most abundant. The difference in physicochemical properties is more helpful to distinguish different types of sweet fermented grains. Correlation analysis between antioxidant active substances and color value showed a positive correlation between with a* value, and a negative correlation with L*, b* value. Our results suggested that there were differences in the flavor characteristics of sweet fermented grains fermented from different types of cereals. The results of the study will provide valuable information for the selection of raw materials for sweet fermented grains.

Nutraceutical and Functional Properties of Peel, Pulp, and Seed Extracts of Six ‘Köhnü’ Grape Clones

Grape production has a long history in the Elazig province and surrounding vicinity and produced grapes have been used for table consumption and also processed into traditional beverages, Şıra (special non-alcoholic grape juice) and wine. In the Elazig province, the main grape cultivars are ‘Ağın Beyazı’, ‘Öküzgözü’, ‘Boğazkere’, ‘Şilfoni’, ‘Tahannebi’, and ‘Köhnü’. Among them, ‘Köhnü’ cultivar is highly preferred by consumers due to its black color and perfect berry characteristics. The cultivar has grown for centuries in different parts of Elazig and shows a great variability for most of its morphological and biochemical characteristics. In the present study, we aimed to determine morphological and biochemical traits in six ‘Köhnü’ clones sampled from Elazığ. The cluster weight of six clones was found between 334–394 g. The highest total phenolic content was observed in seeds followed by peel and pulp samples. The seed extract of Clone 2 had the highest total phenolic content at 254 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g fresh weight. The results also showed that peel, pulp, and seed samples of ‘Köhnü’ grape clones had considerable amounts of antioxidant components determined by DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl), FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), and TEAC assays and might be rich sources of natural antioxidants. Among the six ‘Köhnü’ clones, Clone 3, and Clone 6 differed from the others in respect to the highest cluster weight, the highest concentrations of total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. The results also implied that all clones could be used potentially as a readily accessible source of natural antioxidants and as a possible pharmaceutical supplement.

Early Defoliation Techniques Enhance Yield Components, Grape and Wine Composition of cv. Trnjak (Vitis vinifera L.) in Dalmatian Hinterland Wine Region

Defoliation and cluster thinning are of practical importance in a control of the grapevine source-sink balance, cluster architecture, microclimate and berry composition. Nevertheless, their effectiveness on wine composition is unexplored. In this work, the impacts of preflowering (T1), after berry set (T2), and veraison defoliation (T3) and cluster thinning (T4), on yield components, grape and wine composition of cv. Trnjak are given. Implemented techniques significantly reduced yield and affected grape and wine components in comparison to untreated control (C). Despite lowest number of clusters ensured by cluster thinning, defoliation at veraison had lowest yield. Defoliations improved cluster architecture parameters. Highest berry per se was in preflowering T1 and lowest at veraison T3 defoliation. Berries of T1 had lowest sugar content (19.47 °Brix) while T3 had highest (22.3 °Brix), and the reverse is seen in total acidity highest in T1 (6.12 g/L) and lowest in T3 (5.01 g/L). Wines of early defoliations (T1 and T2) had lowest alcohol and highest anthocyanin concentration. Both techniques applied at veraison produced wines with lower anthocyanins and flavonols than those obtained without any intervention (C). In conclusion, the early defoliations (T1 and T2) improve yield and wine composition of cv. Trnjak in the Mediterranean region of Croatia.