Abstract
Berry cell death (BCD) is linked to the development of flavors and aromas in berries and wine. The BCD pattern and rate within a growing season start at around 90–100 days after anthesis (DAA), and the rate until harvest depends on environmental factors. This study assessed the BCD effects on berry and wine composition from a boutique commercial vineyard in Victoria, Australia, using fluorescent imaging. Results showed differences in wine sensory profiles from the two blocks studied, mainly related to variations in BCD, due to differences in altitude between blocks. Furthermore, two machine learning (ML) models were constructed using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) measurements from full berries as inputs and living tissue (LT) and dead tissue (DT) from berries as targets (Model 1). Model 2 was developed using Brix, LT, DT from the east and west sides of canopies as inputs and using 19 sensory descriptors from wines as targets. High correlation and performances were achieved for both models without signs of overfitting (R = 0.94 and R = 0.80, respectively). These models could be used for decision-making purposes as an objective and comprehensive berry maturity assessment obtained in a non-destructive, accurate, and in a real-time fashion close to harvest, to secure specific wine styles.
Highlights
In grapevines, programmed berry cell death (BCD) is a genetically triggered process that starts at around 90–100 days after anthesis (DAA) for winemaking cultivars [1,2,3,4,5], which is close to veraison, where berry cell division stops and commences berry cell elongation
It has been suggested that BCD could be an evolutionary trait linked to seed dispersal [18], and it has been shown that the pattern and level of cell death in Pinot Noir can reach up to 50% at harvest and is cultivar dependent [1]
This paper proposed a digital viticulture approach to assess the effect of BCD on berry composition and wine quality traits measured by sensory analysis
Summary
In grapevines, programmed berry cell death (BCD) is a genetically triggered process that starts at around 90–100 days after anthesis (DAA) for winemaking cultivars [1,2,3,4,5], which is close to veraison, where berry cell division stops and commences berry cell elongation. It has been suggested that BCD could be an evolutionary trait linked to seed dispersal [18], and it has been shown that the pattern and level of cell death in Pinot Noir can reach up to 50% at harvest and is cultivar dependent [1]. This cultivar dependency may be linked to different levels of flavors and aromas developed that are characteristic of different cultivars
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