Long-Term Esca Monitoring Reveals Disease Impacts on Fruit Yield and Wine Quality.

Esca is a widespread grapevine trunk disease, and a global increase in esca incidence has been observed in recent decades. Estimates attribute considerable economic losses to esca, and the disease is considered one of the major causes of vine mortality and vineyard dieback. However, accurate quantification of esca incidence is difficult due to symptom inconsistency, and there are very few studies precisely quantifying yield losses and impacts on fruit composition and wine quality.

Impact of vine water status on berry mass and berry tissue development of Cabernet franc (Vitis vinifera L.), assessed at berry level.

Background: Berry size is considered an important quality factor in red wine production. The objective of this work was to study the effect of vine water status on berry mass in field conditions, with a specific focus on berry tissue masses.

Results: The study was carried out over 2 years in a plot located in Sicily (Italy).

Impact of clonal variability in Vitis vinifera Cabernet franc on grape composition, wine quality, leaf blade stilbene content, and downy mildew resistance.

In this study, 10 clones of Vitis vinifera Cabernet franc (not yet commercial) have been phenotyped on precocity, grape composition, and assessment of wine quality made by microvinification in 2008-2010. Additionally, two original criteria have been considered: concentration of 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) in grapes and wines (the green bell pepper flavor) and resistance of grapevines to downy mildew ( Plasmopara viticola ) by stilbene quantification upon infection. Precocity of veraison varied up to four days at veraison.