In contrast with the general trend of producing wine from the most famous grapevine varieties, associated with the French paradigm, such as Cabernet‐Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, there is a tendency to revalorize and preserve minority or autochthonous grapevine varieties worldwide. The South American wine region, where most of the varieties derived from varieties brought after European colonization, is not exempt from this. This has allowed new wines to be provided with distinctive identities that are markedly different from the current homogeneous wine production. Moreover, varietal homogenization increases vineyard genetic vulnerability in relation to the emergence of grapevine diseases, to which the commonly cultivated varieties are not resistant. This review summarizes the oenological potential of minority or autochthonous grapevine varieties cultivated within the South American wine region, focusing on Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

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Bolivian viticulture has acquired an incipient notoriety in the international wine market due to the production of high-altitude wines with a high antioxidant potential. Andes agricultural regions present an advantage for wine production since UV-B radiation reaching the earth's surface increases with altitude and varies with latitude, promoting the activation of plant defense mechanisms responsible for the synthesis of secondary metabolites. UV-B radiation upregulates the biosynthesis of nitrogen, phenolic and volatile compounds that contribute to wine flavour. It is thought that the incident UV-B radiation in the Bolivian valleys makes it possible to obtain wines with high phenolic and aromatic potential, but the published results are not entirely conclusive. This manuscript addressed the geological and climatic features that affect Bolivian viticulture, and we reviewed the field studies carried out regarding the effects of altitude and UV-B radiation on flavour components of grapes and wines from Bolivian viticultural valleys. A high antioxidant capacity and trans-resveratrol content is found in grapes and wines from highaltitude Bolivian vineyards, including if they are compared to those samples from different wine countries. However, high UV-B radiation can result in bunch sunburn affecting some physico-chemical parameters of the produced wines. Scarce number of studies have been developed in this field despite this region present a valuable potential for research in order to quantify the effects of biologically damaging radiation on the synthesis of flavour components in grapes and some of them were not well scientifically controlled.

El presente artículo investiga y devela el genius loci o espíritu del lugar del valle del río Cotagaita y valles de los Cintis Departamento de Potosí y Chuquisaca, Bolivia, en especial relación a la actividad vitícola que allí se desarrolla. Describimos aspectos fundamentales del “saber hacer” y costumbres de sus campesinos viticultores, los cuales implementan manejos tendientes a conservar de forma sustentable y sostenible en el tiempo su actividad, particularmente cultivando las vides en tutores vivos de árboles de molle (Schinus molle L.) chañar (Geoffroea decorticans) y algarrobos (Prosopis alba). Preguntamos por las condiciones de producción de estos valles, cuáles son las características físicas particulares que desafían la labor vitivinícola y cuáles son las adaptaciones culturales en torno al tema, así como su profundidad histórica y su entronque con otras prácticas vitícolas del mundo, focalizado en los sistemas de cultivo y conducción. El análisis utiliza como fuente una estancia de estudio del profesor Philippo Pszczólkowski en Bolivia entre los años 2008-2009 y combina metodologías agronómicas e históricas.

This study uses the case of the Maipo Valley in Chile to examine how climate change will affect viticultural suitability. Using a GIS analysis of topographic, soil, land use and climate data, a baseline assessment of viticultural suitability in the Maipo Valley was performed. The impact of climate change on viticultural suitability was modeled by overlaying downscaled Global Circulation Model temperature data for two emission scenarios. The findings of this study suggest that the capacity of vineyard managers in the Maipo Valley to cultivate high quality traditional grape varietals from cooler grape maturity classes may be limited in the future.