Resurgence of minority and autochthonous grapevine varieties in South America: a review of their oenological potential

Abstract

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

Strategies in vineyard establishment to face global warming in viticulture: a mini review

“…3). 32,41 This altitude‐related cooling is mitigated by the effects of strong solar radiation, low cloudiness, and a lack of precipitation that characterize certain wine regions 27,32 . Differences in the grapevine response at dissimilar altitudes are reported by some workers in different viticultural areas 23 .…”

“…Low sugar concentration and high acidity in grapes can be achieved by the introduction of new grapevine varieties or by the selection of the existing grapevine varieties that are more suitable for low‐alcohol wine production 25 . For this purpose, the knowledge of minority and autochthonous grapevine varieties present in our viticulture is essential 22,27 …”

“…However, certain models indicate that the risk of adverse conditions related to spring frost during flowering declines under all future climate scenarios, whereas others reported that the risk of late spring frosts increases under many future climate projections due to advancement in the timing of budbreak 8,53,54 . Certain pruning practices, such as arching vine shoots or late pruning, may improve basal bud fertility without advancing the date of budbreak 27,32 . Spur pruning to leave one bud may attenuate the effects of the acrotony and favor the budbreak of basal buds 27 .…”

“…The disappearance of several old grapevine varieties and the current varietal homogenization in the wine industry entail an increase in genetic vulnerability in relation to the spread of pathogens to which the cultivated varieties are not resistant 22 . Minority varieties contain valuable genetic resources and are a very important source of biodiversity that could lead to the development of new wine styles, to achieve better adaptation to the global warming, and to confer resistance to pests and diseases 27 . In DOCa Rioja, the most interesting red minority grapevine varieties against global warming were Garnacha Roya, Alicante Bouschet, Trepat, Morate, and Agawan, whereas the most interesting white minority grapevine varieties were Maturana Blanca and Garnacha Blanca (Table 1).…”

Biodiversity of Local Vitis vinifera L. Germplasm: A Powerful Tool Toward Adaptation to Global Warming and Desired Grape Composition

“…Even if most of Italian and southern Europe viticulture is based on local varieties identifying the final products, the re-arrangement of cultivars and genotypes adopted within a wine region is something currently occurring especially as a consequence of climate change pressures (Palliotti et al, 2014;Mosedale et al, 2016). However, even if in literature some works report the evaluation of local biodiversity and the reintroduction of autochthonous minor cultivars as new tools to improve the competitiveness of wine districts (Mannini, 2003;Storchi et al, 2007;Cruz-Castillo et al, 2009;Iorizzo et al, 2014;Biasi and Brunori, 2015;Urrestarazu et al, 2015;Gutiérrez-Gamboa et al, 2020), none of them has taken into account white varietals and the importance of maintaining acidity in grapes in relation to high seasonal temperatures favoring abrupt organic acids depletion.…”