Different Temperature and UV Patterns Modulate Berry Maturation and Volatile Compounds Accumulation in Vitis sp.

Volatile compounds (VCs) in grapevine berries play an important role in wine quality; however, such compounds and vine development can be sensitive to environmental conditions. Due to this sensitivity, changes in temperature patterns due to global warming are likely to further impact grape production and berry composition. The aim of this study was to determine the possible effects of different growing-degree day accumulation patterns on berry ripening and composition at harvest. An experimental field was conducted using Vitis sp. L'Acadie blanc, in Nova Scotia, Canada. Using on-the-row mini-greenhouses, moderate temperature increase and reduced ultraviolet (UV) exposure were triggered in grapevines during pre-veraison (inflorescence to the beginning of berry softening), post-veraison (berry softening to full maturity), and whole season (inflorescence to full maturity), while controls were left without treatment. Free and bound VCs were extracted from berries sampled at three different phenological stages between veraison and maturity before analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Berries from grapevines exposed to higher temperatures during early berry development (pre-veraison and whole) accumulated significantly higher concentrations of benzene derivatives 2-phenylethanol and benzyl alcohol at harvest, but lower concentrations of hydroxy-methoxy-substituted volatile phenols, terpenes, and C13-norisoprenoids than the control berries. These results illustrate the importance of different environmental interactions in berry composition and suggest that temperature could potentially modulate phenylpropanoid and mevalonate metabolism in developing berries. This study provides insights into the relationships between abiotic conditions and secondary metabolism in grapevine and highlights the significance of early developmental stages on berry quality at harvest.

Pomace limits tannin retention in Frontenac wines.

The impact of different factors (must protein treatment: bentonite and heat; pomace: fermented with and without; tannin addition: 0-9 g/L; and time of maceration: 0-11 days) on tannin, pigment, and protein extraction/retention in Frontenac wines was investigated. Wine tannin concentration and composition were determined by HPLC-fluorescence. Protein and pigment parameters were analysed by BCA assay and Boulton's method, respectively, using UV-spectrophotometry. Results: Bentonite and heat significantly reduced wine protein concentration at the end of alcoholic fermentation but heat was less efficient than bentonite (1.8-5.0 times less). Removing wine proteins did not improve tannin retention in wines (p > 0.1032) but fermenting without pomace significantly improved their retention (up to 2.4 times), especially that of polymeric flavan-3-ols (up to 27.8%). An addition of 3 g/L of enological tannins in wines, fermented with or without pomace, was necessary to increase wine tannin concentration significantly.

Co-fermentation of red grapes and white pomace: A natural and economical process to modulate hybrid wine composition.

The impact of co-fermenting white grape pomace (WP) and red grape pomace (RP) on the composition of interspecific hybrid wine was studied using the Vitis sp. 'Frontenac' and 'Vidal'. The proanthocyanidin and anthocyanin content of the resulting wines were analysed by HPLC-fluorescence and UPLC-MS/MS, respectively. The CIELAB parameters and volatile compounds were analysed using spectrophotometry-UV and GC-MS-SPME, respectively. The WP addition increased the concentration of monomeric and oligomeric flavan-3-ols, and terpenes in the wines. The manipulation of the WP/RP ratio efficiently modulated the anthocyanin profile of the wines, resulting in faded red colour, a desirable achievement in hybrid red wine, which is usually perceived as too dark. An appropriate ratio (30% RP/6% WP) improved the colour stability of the wines without a significant impact on wine colour. Addition of WP proved to be a suitable tool to modulate the colour, the phenolic and volatile composition of interspecific hybrid wine.

Strontium isotope characterization of wines from Quebec, Canada.

The (87)Sr/(86)Sr isotope ratios were measured on grape, wine and soil samples collected in 13 commercial vineyards located in three major wine producing areas of Quebec (Canada). The soils yield Sr isotope ratios that are intimately related to the local geology and unambiguously discriminate the different producing areas. A strong relationship exists between the (87)Sr/(86)Sr isotope ratios of the wine and the grapes. This suggests that the vinification process does not alter the overall Sr budget. Although the Sr isotope ratios of the grapes do not show a strong correlation with the bulk Sr isotope composition of the soil, they do correlate strongly with the Sr isotope composition contained in the labile fraction of the soil. This indicates that the labile fraction of the soil represents the Sr reservoir available to the plant during its growth. This study demonstrates that the Sr isotope approach can be used as a viable tool in forensic science for investigating the provenance of commercial wines.

Volatile Compounds from Grape Skin, Juice and Wine from Five Interspecific Hybrid Grape Cultivars Grown in Québec (Canada) for Wine Production.

Developed from crosses between Vitis vinifera and North American Vitis species, interspecific hybrid grape varieties are becoming economically significant in northern areas, where they are now extensively grown for wine production. However, the varietal differences between interspecific hybrids are not well defined, nor are the relationships between hybrid grape and wine composition, which causes significant drawbacks in the development of viticulture and winemaking of northern wines. In an effort to increase our understanding of interspecific hybrids, we have characterized the free volatile compounds profiles of berries (juice and skin) and wines of five red hybrid varieties (Frontenac, Marquette, Maréchal Foch, Sabrevois and St. Croix) grown in Québec (Canada), using GC-MS(TOF)-SPME. In grapes and wines, significantly higher levels of C6 and other fatty acid degradation products (FADP) were found in Frontenac, Maréchal Foch and Marquette. Terpenes were primarily located in the skin, with Marquette showing the highest level for these compounds. Both the level of terpenes and the level of FADP in grape were strongly correlated with their respective levels in wine, as demonstrated by the redundancy analyses. Nonanal, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, ß-damascenone, ethyl octanoate and isoamyl acetate showed the highest OAVs in the wines of the studied varieties.

Flavor of cold-hardy grapes: impact of berry maturity and environmental conditions.

Since the arrival on the market of high-quality cold-hardy grape varieties, northern winemaking has been developing tremendously in countries traditionally unsuited for grape and wine production. Cold-hardy grapes are mainly interspecific hybrids of Vitis vinifera with Vitis labrusca and Vitis riparia , making their chemical composition distinct from that of V. vinifera varieties traditionally used for winemaking and therefore limiting the use of current knowledge about V. vinifera varieties in the assessment of grape maturity. Consequently, to evaluate the flavor development of cold-hardy grapes in the province of Quebec, Canada, the ripening of Frontenac and Marquette berries in two vineyards located in the southwest (SW) and northeast (NE) areas of the province, starting at the beginning of veraison, was studied. Quality attributes, phenolic compounds, and aroma profiles showed significant changes during maturation. Although full maturity was reached for both Frontenac and Marquette in the SW vineyard (1380 accumulated growing degree days, based on 10 °C), the accumulation of 1035 growing degree days was not sufficient to fully ripen Frontenac and Marquette in the NE vineyard. Principal component analysis showed different ripening patterns for the two studied locations. The longer veraison in the SW vineyard resulted in higher quality attributes and higher flavor development for both Frontenac and Marquette. Under the colder conditions in the NE vineyard, metabolite accumulation was driven primarily by berry growth, and flavor development was limited. Besides growing degree days and technological parameters (total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity), which provide significant guidelines for maturity assessment in cold climate, phenolic maturity may be followed by the accumulation of hydroxycinnamic esters and flavonoids, although the impact of these compound classes on quality remains to be determined in cold-climate wines. In both Frontenac and Marquette, aromatic maturity was best assessed using the ratio of cis-3-hexenol to trans-2-hexenal, which showed a constant decrease until maturity. Interestingly, a shift in C6 compound profile, illustrated by the progression of the sum of C6 compounds respectively produced from linoleic (C18:2; hexanal and 1-hexanol) and α-linolenic (C18:3; trans-2-hexenol and cis-3-hexenol) acids occurred during ripening, with α-linolenic acid (C18:3) degradation products decreasing in both varieties as maturation approached. At harvest, aroma profiles of both Frontenac and Marquette were dominated by C6 compounds (hexanal, trans-2-hexenal, 1-hexanol, cis-3-hexenol, and hexanoic acid), acetic acid, ß-damascenone, and 2-phenylethanol, with Marquette additionally showing significant levels of monoterpenes (linalool, geraniol, and α-citral) and 1-octen-3-ol.

Fatty acid profiles of polar and neutral lipids of ten species of higher basidiomycetes indigenous to eastern Canada.

Neutral and polar lipid contents of ten species of edible mushrooms indigenous to Eastern Canada belonging to the families Agaricaceae, Amanitaceae, Boletaceae, Coprinaceae, Ganodermataceae, and Lycoperdaceae were analysed. The total lipid content of the species analysed ranged from 3.1% (Ganoderma applanatum) to 16% (w/w) d.w. (Amanita vaginata) and averaged 8.6% (w/w) d.w. Polar lipids accounted for more than 50% of the total lipids in most species and differences were observed between neutral and polar lipid contents according to the species analysed. In both lipid fractions, high proportions of unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) ranging from 62.7 to 82.3% (polar lipids) and 59.8 to 82.5% (neutral lipids) of the total FAs were observed. Analysis of FA profiles showed that both neutral and polar lipids were mainly composed of linoleic (18:2 Delta9c,12c), oleic (18:1 Delta9c), and palmitic (16:0) acids. Significant differences (P<0.05) in the contents of specific FAs were observed between mushroom species. Among the 44 FAs detected in the species analysed, the occurrence of cis-11-heptadecenoic (17:1 Delta11c) acid is reported for the first time in basidiomycetes, while elaidic acid (18:1 Delta9t) is reported for the first time in fungi.

Fatty acid profiles of polar and non-polar lipids of Pleurotus ostreatus and P. cornucopiae var. 'citrino-pileatus' grown at different temperatures.

The application of fatty acid (FA) composition data has now extended to studies of physiology, chemotaxonomy, and intrageneric differentiation, as well as to studies of human nutrition. Environmental factors such as nutritional components, oxygen, and temperature are known to affect lipid content and composition in living organisms, including fungi. In the present study, the polar and non-polar lipid content of Pleurotus ostreatus and P. cornucopiae var. citrino-pileatus fruiting bodies produced at temperatures ranging from 12-27 degrees C and from 17-27 degrees C, respectively, were analysed to evaluate the effect of temperature on lipid composition in these mushrooms. Results showed that lowering the growth temperature below 17 degrees C generally provided an expected increase in FA unsaturation in polar and non-polar lipids of P. ostreatus. Although raising the temperature above 17 degrees C did not show any clear-cut tendency in FA unsaturation, it did reveal that growth temperature had a differential effect on the FA profiles in fruiting bodies of P. ostreatus and P. cornucopiae. This study suggests that care should be taken when using FA content and unsaturation data for physiological, chemotaxonomic, and intrageneric differentiation studies, and that it may be possible to manipulate lipid unsaturation in Pleurotus spp. through modified growth temperatures.