<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aims</strong>: Geographical indication plays an important role in the improvement of wine quality. In this context, the search for new grape growing areas has been constant. The São Francisco River Valley in the cerrado of Minas Gerais State (Brazil) has been pointed out in the Geoviticulture Multicriteria Climatic Classification System (MCC System) as a potentially winegrowing region, especially considering the autumn-winter period when night temperatures are favorable to grape ripening. In this work, we studied the maturation curves and fruit composition of four wine grape varieties (Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) in two growing seasons in order to validate the state of Minas Gerais as a new winegrowing region in Brazil.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods and results</strong>: Quality parameters (berry weight, pH, titratable acidity and total soluble solids) were measured weekly from véraison to harvest, and sugar, organic acid, anthocyanin and phenolic concentrations were determined in must and berry skins and seeds at harvest. Syrah berries showed the highest weight throughout maturation which contributed to higher yield (8.92 ton ha^-1), followed closely by Merlot (8.07 ton ha^-1). Berry sugar concentrations were higher and malic acid levels were lower than the values usually observed in wine grapes harvested during summer in traditional winegrowing regions in Brazil. Cabernet Franc showed lower levels of anthocyanins and skin phenolics per kg berries and the highest values of seed phenolics, which were not affected by growing season.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion</strong>: Weather conditions of the cerrado of Minas Gerais State in Brazil during winter allowed complete maturation of Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah cultivars as revealed by the satisfactory sugar, anthocyanin and skin phenolic accumulation.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Significance and impact of the study</strong>: This study revealed the potential of the cerrado ecoregion in the northeast of Minas Gerais to become a new winemaking region in Brazil.</p>

Sunlight and heating influence leaf and grape metabolism and therefore wine quality. As a recent management tool, no information exists on the effects of grapevine row orientation on the wine composition of Syrah vines within the context of double pruning management, a technique used to transfer the grape harvest from the wet summer to the dry winter season. This is a first attempt to investigate the wine composition from north-south-(NS) and east-west-(EW) oriented Syrah winter vines. EW wine samples had higher total acidity, residual sugars, alcohol and color hue, whereas NS wines exhibited higher content of color intensity, anthocyanins, total phenolics, total phenolic index, ashes and pH. The identification of volatile compounds was tentatively performed and demonstrated the presence of alkanes, volatile phenols and alkyl sulfide in NS wines, while butyrolactone and beta-damascenone were found mainly in EW wines. Row orientation contributed to wine composition and could be used as a management tool for obtaining individual wine styles.

The sunlight and heating effects on leaves and grapes are directly influenced by row orientation in vineyards. Row orientation studies have not been addressed under double pruning management, a technique used to transfer the wine grape harvest from wet summer to dry winter season in Brazilian Southeast. Effects of grapevine row orientation (north/south-NS and east/west-EW) of vertically trellised and shoot positioned Vitis vinifera L. Syrah grafted onto 1103 Paulsen were investigated in the South of Minas Gerais State. The vegetative vigor was increased in NS oriented vines, probably due to high photosynthesis as suggested by the highest leaf starch accumulation. The leaf and stem water potential were slight affected by row orientation. NS orientation increased the cluster weight, but cluster number and yield per vine were not affected by treatments. Berries from NS oriented vines also showed the highest values of anthocyanins and total phenols. Under NS orientation there was a reduction on tartaric acid and soluble sugar in berries probably diluted by increased cluster weight. This study showed that vineyard under NS orientation improved grapevine vigor and promoted better phenolic maturity in wine grapes harvested during the winter season than EW orientation.

RESUMO-Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a influência do sistema de condução na qualidade de bagas de uvas 'Niágara Rosada' e 'Folha-de-Figo' cultivadas em Caldas-MG. Foram avaliados a produção por planta, o diâmetro, a massa, o teor de potássio e a temperatura das bagas, pH, teor de sólidos solúveis, açúcares redutores, acidez total e ácidos orgânicos do mosto, compostos fenólicos nas cascas e sementes, e antocianinas. As plantas foram conduzidas em espaldeira, lira, latada ou cordão simples, e os frutos, avaliados nas safras de 2006 e 2007. As videiras de 'Niágara Rosada' cultivadas em latada e 'Folha-de-Figo' em lira apresentaram produção significativamente superior aos demais sistemas de condução. Em todos os casos, as bagas apresentaram temperatura inferior à ambiente, indicando sombreamento completo ou parcial dos cachos. No sistema latada, houve menor acúmulo de sólidos solúveis e açúcares redutores nas duas cultivares. Estes resultados preliminares indicam que a composição das bagas foi pouco influenciada pelo sistema de condução. Termos para indexação: Vitis labrusca, compostos fenólicos, açúcares, antocianinas, manejo, qualidade. FRUIT COMPOSITION OF 'NIÁGARA ROSADA' AND 'FOLHA-DE-FIGO' GRAPEVINES UNDER DIFFERENT TRAINING SYSTEMSABSTRACT -This work aimed on evaluating the influence of training systems in berries composition of 'Niágara Rosada' and 'Folha-de-Figo' grapevines grown in Caldas, MG. Yield per plant; diameter, weight, temperature and potassium content of the berries; pH, soluble solids, reducing sugars, total acidity and organic acids of the must; anthocyanins and phenolic compounds of the skins and phenolic compounds of the seeds were evaluated in grapevines training in vertical shoot position, lyre trellis, pergola Veronese or simple string in 2006 and 2007 seasons. 'Niágara Rosada' and 'Folha-de-Figo' grapevines training in pergola Veronese and lyre trellis, respectively, showed higher yield than the other training systems under study. Berries grown under the four different training systems were cooler than ambient temperature, resulting from partial or deep shade clusters. Berries harvested from pergola Veronese trellis system showed lower soluble solids and reducing sugars levels in both cultivars. These preliminary data show that training systems exerted little influence on berries composition.