Cv Pinot Noir Research Articles

Late Pruning and Forced Vine Regrowth in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir: Benefits and Drawbacks in the Trento DOC Basin (Italy)

Targeted pruning techniques may have the potential to shift phenological progression in grapevines. These approaches can be useful to escape late frost (after budburst) and to delay ripening, maintaining yield and berry quality under specific environmental scenarios and for targeted oenological aims. In this work we tested a series of pruning methods (late pruning and different forcing approaches to unlock the para-dormant buds) with the primary objective of delaying phenological onset while increasing must quality components in the Trento DOC basin (Italy) over three field seasons either in cv Chardonnay or cv Pinot noir. Delayed pruning shifted the onset of most of the phenological stages by 3 to 10 days with a general increase in must acidity at harvest over two seasons. Forcing techniques, and in particular forcing vine regrowth (i.e., removing primary productivity along with leaves and secondary shoots to force dormant bud growth), substantially reduced yield per vine (p < 0.001) but significantly (p < 0.001) enhanced total acidity and yeast available nitrogen when compared to winter pruning vines in both Chardonnay and Pinot noir. Different spring pruning for unlocking para-dormant buds aimed at double-cropping in 2022 did not yield a secondary harvest potentially due to lack of vigor in the vineyard (Pinot noir) and unfavorable environmental conditions that putatively anticipated bud pre-dormancy. However, reduced sugar levels in the primary productivity bunches of the treated vines were observed, suggesting that early source limitation (e.g., at fruit set) applied via reduced active photosynthetic leaf area may slow down technological ripening even if compensatory behaviors were observed in the treated plants through enhanced stomatal conductance. Our work provides evidence of the potential usefulness of different pruning approaches for manipulating phenological progression and berry ripening dynamics under climate change scenario in the Trento DOC area and suggests a lack of efficacy and specific drawbacks particularly in dry and hot years.

Leaf Eco-Physiological Profile and Berries Technological Traits on Potted Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot Noir Subordinated to Zeolite Treatments under Drought Stress.

In Mediterranean areas, extreme weather conditions such as high diurnal temperatures during the growing season could tweak vine physiology and metabolism, affecting grapes’ quality. Moreover, uncertainty in spatial and temporal distribution precipitation is an issue for the water resources of the vineyards, forcing the winemakers to continuously face an increasing water demand in recent decades, which has led them to non-sustainable choices for ambient (i.e., irrigation solutions). The aspiration of this experiment was to explore the effects of zeolite treatments (clinoptilolite type) on Vitis vinifera L. (potted vines) ecophysiology and berry metabolism under two water regimes. The plants were subordinated to two different predawn water potential regimes (0 ≤ ΨPD ≤ −0.4, WWCtrl and −0.4 ≤ ΨPD ≤ −0.9, WSCtrl), both associated with zeolite treatments (WWt and WSt). Gas exchanges, predawn and midday stem water potential, chlorophyll fluorescence, temperature, and relative water content were overseen on leaves at veraison, maturation, and harvest. Technological analyses were performed on the berries. Moreover, data were analyzed with principal component analysis and Pearson’s correlations. This experiment supplies new evidence that zeolite applications could impact both physiological profiles (higher photosynthesis and stomatal conductance) as well as berry skin metabolism (sugar and size) of vines, giving a better skill to counteract low water availability during the season and maintaining a better hydraulic conductivity.

Focus on the role of seed tannins and pectolytic enzymes in the color development of Pinot noir wine

Maceration techniques which promote the extraction of color pigments and tannin from grapes are often sought in Pinot noir winemaking to optimise color stability; alternatively, exogenous grape tannins may be included during fermentation. To examine the effect of seed-derived tannins and the use of pectolytic enzymes on color development in wines, conventional must preparations of Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot noir grapes were compared with wines made using a supplementary addition of either a commercial seed tannin product or previously fermented seeds, while in a complementary experiment, seeds were sequentially removed during fermentation. After 6 months bottle aging, wines supplemented with either a commercial seed tannin solution (0.4 ​g/L), or fermented seeds (20% w/w seeds) had from 60% to 95% higher tannin concentration than the untreated wine, and up to 60% more monomeric anthocyanins. Conversely, when a third of the seeds were removed from the fermenting wine, the concentration of both tannin and non-bleachable pigments was 20–30% lower than in untreated wines and the wine hue had more red-purple tones. Exploration of the use of pectolytic enzymes in conjunction with seed removal was also found to have a significant impact on wine color parameters. Further insights on the timing of egress of tannin precursors from seeds was obtained from histochemical examination of the seeds that had been removed during alcoholic fermentation.

Enhanced Stilbene Production and Excretion in Vitis vinifera cv Pinot Noir Hairy Root Cultures.

Stilbenes are defense molecules produced by grapevine in response to stresses including various elicitors and signal molecules. Together with their prominent role in planta, stilbenes have been the center of much attention in recent decades due to their pharmaceutical properties. With the aim of setting up a cost-effective and high purity production of resveratrol derivatives, hairy root lines were established from Vitis vinifera cv Pinot Noir 40024 to study the organ-specific production of various stilbenes. Biomass increase and stilbene production by roots were monitored during flask experiments. Although there was a constitutive production of stilbenes in roots, an induction of stilbene synthesis by methyl jasmonate (MeJA) after 18 days of growth led to further accumulation of ε-viniferin, δ-viniferin, resveratrol and piceid. The use of 100 µM MeJA after 18 days of culture in the presence of methyl-β-cyclodextrins (MCDs) improved production levels, which reached 1034 µg/g fresh weight (FW) in roots and 165 mg/L in the extracellular medium, corresponding to five-and 570-fold increase in comparison to control. Whereas a low level of stilbene excretion was measured in controls, addition of MeJA induced excretion of up to 37% of total stilbenes. The use of MCDs increased the excretion phenomenon even more, reaching up to 98%. Our results demonstrate the ability of grapevine hairy roots to produce various stilbenes. This production was significantly improved in response to elicitation by methyl jasmonate and/or MCDs. This supports the interest of using hairy roots as a potentially valuable system for producing resveratrol derivatives.

Transcriptome analyses of the Dof-like gene family in grapevine reveal its involvement in berry, flower and seed development.

The Dof (DNA-binding with one finger) protein family spans a group of plant transcription factors involved in the regulation of several functions, such as plant responses to stress, hormones and light, phytochrome signaling and seed germination. Here we describe the Dof-like gene family in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), which consists of 25 genes coding for Dof. An extensive in silico characterization of the VviDofL gene family was performed. Additionally, the expression of the entire gene family was assessed in 54 grapevine tissues and organs using an integrated approach with microarray (cv Corvina) and real-time PCR (cv Pinot Noir) analyses. The phylogenetic analysis comparing grapevine sequences with those of Arabidopsis, tomato, poplar and already described Dof genes in other species allowed us to identify several duplicated genes. The diversification of grapevine DofL genes during evolution likely resulted in a broader range of biological roles. Furthermore, distinct expression patterns were identified between samples analyzed, corroborating such hypothesis. Our expression results indicate that several VviDofL genes perform their functional roles mainly during flower, berry and seed development, highlighting their importance for grapevine growth and production. The identification of similar expression profiles between both approaches strongly suggests that these genes have important regulatory roles that are evolutionally conserved between grapevine cvs Corvina and Pinot Noir.

Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot noir pomace and lees as potential sources of bioactive compounds

Food and agricultural industries generate substantial quantities of phenolic-rich by-products that could be valuable natural sources of antioxidants. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds and radical scavenging activities of two by-products (pomace and lees) from Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot noir. We found a different distribution of phenolic classes (flavanols, flavonols, phenolic acids and stilbenes) and singular scavenging activity against free radicals (hydroxyl, superoxide and peroxyl radicals). The major class of phenolics in pomace was flavanols and in lees was flavonols, with catechin (117.9 ± 2.5 μg g−1) and quercetin (42.4 ± 1.2 μg g−1) being the most abundant individual compounds. We also found high potential on scavenging activity against superoxide radicals in pomace (80% of scavenging activity) and radical peroxyl (67% scavenging activity). These results show the possibility of using Pinot noir by-products as promising additives or as a source for the development of new products in different segments of the food and cosmetic industries.

A Grapevine Anthocyanin Acyltransferase, Transcriptionally Regulated by VvMYBA, Can Produce Most Acylated Anthocyanins Present in Grape Skins.

Anthocyanins are flavonoid compounds responsible for red/purple colors in the leaves, fruit, and flowers of many plant species. They are produced through a multistep pathway that is controlled by MYB transcription factors. VvMYBA1 and VvMYBA2 activate anthocyanin biosynthesis in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and are nonfunctional in white grapevine cultivars. In this study, transgenic grapevines with altered VvMYBA gene expression were developed, and transcript analysis was carried out on berries using a microarray technique. The results showed that VvMYBA is a positive regulator of the later stages of anthocyanin synthesis, modification, and transport in cv Shiraz. One up-regulated gene, ANTHOCYANIN 3-O-GLUCOSIDE-6″-O-ACYLTRANSFERASE (Vv3AT), encodes a BAHD acyltransferase protein (named after the first letter of the first four characterized proteins: BEAT [for acetyl CoA:benzylalcohol acetyltransferase], AHCT [for anthocyanin O-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase], HCBT [for anthranilate N-hydroxycinnamoyl/benzoyltransferase], and DAT [for deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase]), belonging to a clade separate from most anthocyanin acyltransferases. Functional studies (in planta and in vitro) show that Vv3AT has a broad anthocyanin substrate specificity and can also utilize both aliphatic and aromatic acyl donors, a novel activity for this enzyme family found in nature. In cv Pinot Noir, a red-berried grapevine mutant lacking acylated anthocyanins, Vv3AT contains a nonsense mutation encoding a truncated protein that lacks two motifs required for BAHD protein activity. Promoter activation assays confirm that Vv3AT transcription is activated by VvMYBA1, which adds to the current understanding of the regulation of the BAHD gene family. The flexibility of Vv3AT to use both classes of acyl donors will be useful in the engineering of anthocyanins in planta or in vitro.

Stable MSAP Markers for the Distinction of Vitis vinifera cv Pinot Noir Clones

Grapevine is one of the most economically important fruit crops. Molecular markers have been used to study grapevine diversity. For instance, simple sequence repeats are a powerful tool for identification of grapevine cultivars, while amplified fragment length polymorphisms have shown their usefulness in intra-varietal diversity studies. Other techniques such as sequence-specific amplified polymorphism are based on the presence of mobile elements in the genome, but their detection lies upon their activity. Relevant attention has been drawn toward epigenetic sources of variation. In this study, a set of Vitis vinifera cv Pinot noir clones were analyzed using the methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism technique with isoschizomers MspI and HpaII. Nine out of fourteen selective primer combinations were informative and generated two types of polymorphic fragments which were categorized as "stable" and "unstable." In total, 23 stable fragments were detected and they discriminated 92.5% of the studied clones. Detected stable polymorphisms were either common to several clones, restricted to a few clones or unique to a single clone. The identification of these stable epigenetic markers will be useful in clonal diversity studies. We highlight the relevance of stable epigenetic variation in V. vinifera clones and analyze at which level these markers could be applicable for the development of forthright techniques for clonal distinction.

Expression and in situ localization of two major PR proteins of grapevine berries during development and after UV-C exposition.

In grapevine Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot noir, the Pathogenesis-Related (PR) proteins CHI4D and TL3 are among the most abundant extractable PR proteins of ripe berries and accumulate during berry ripening from véraison until full maturation. Evidence was supplied in favor of the involvement of these two protein families in plant defense mechanisms and plant development. In order to better understand CHI4D and TL3 function in grapevine, we analyzed their temporal and spatial pattern of expression during maturation and after an abiotic stress (UV-C) by in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistolocalization. In ripening berries, CHI4D and TL3 genes were mainly expressed in the exocarp and around vascular bundles of the mesocarp. In UV-C exposed berries, CHI4D and TL3 gene expression was strongly induced before véraison. Corresponding proteins localized in the exocarp and, to a lesser extent, around vascular bundles of the mesocarp. The spatial and temporal accumulation of the two PR proteins during berry maturation and after an abiotic stress is discussed in relation to their putative roles in plant defense.

Sequencing and assembly of highly heterozygous genome of Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot Noir: Problems and solutions

A new approach to sequencing and assembling a highly heterozygous genome, that of grape, species Vitis vinifera cv Pinot Noir, is described. The combining of genome shotgun of paired reads produced by Sanger sequencing and sequencing by synthesis of unpaired reads was shown to be an efficient procedure for decoding a complex genome. About 2 million SNPs and more than a million heterozygous gaps have been identified in the 500 Mb genome of grape. More than 91% of the sequence assembled into 58,611 contigs is now anchored to the 19 linkage groups of V. vinifera.

Differential expression of chitinases in Vitis vinifera L. responding to systemic acquired resistance activators or fungal challenge.

The concept of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) enables a novel approach to crop protection, and particular pathogenesis-related proteins, i.e. an acidic chitinase, have been classified as markers of the SAR response. Basic class I (VCHIT1b) and a class III (VCH3) chitinase cDNAs were cloned from cultured Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot Noir cells and used to probe the induction response of grapevine cells to salicylic acid or yeast elicitor. Furthermore, the cells were treated with the commercial SAR activators 2,6-dichloroiso-nicotinic acid or benzo(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester. Elicitor or salicylic acid induced both VCHIT1b and VCH3 transcript abundances, whereas 2,6-dichloroiso-nicotinic acid or benzo(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester enhanced exclusively the expression of VCH3. To assess the systemic sensation of chitinase expression, single leaves of Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot Noir or Vitis rupestris plants were inoculated with Plasmopara viticola spore suspensions, and the VCH3 and VCHIT1b mRNA amounts in the infected versus the adjacent, healthy leaf were monitored. Two VCH3 mRNA maxima were observed 2 and 6 d postinoculation in the infected, susceptible V. vinifera tissue, whereas in the healthy leaf the transcript increased from low levels d 2 postinoculation to prominent levels d 6 to 8 postinoculation. The level of VCH3 mRNA increased also over 4 d in the inoculated, resistant V. rupestris tissue. However, necrotic spots rapidly limited the infection, and the VCH3 transcript was undetectable in the upper-stage, healthy leaf. The expression of VCHIT1b remained negligible under either experimental condition. Overall, the results suggest that the selective expression of VCH3 might be a reliable indicator of the SAR response in V. vinifera L.

Characterization and expression of caffeoyl-coenzyme A 3-O-methyltransferase proposed for the induced resistance response of Vitis vinifera L.

Cell-suspension cultures of Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot Noir accumulated resveratrol upon fungal elicitation, and the activity of S-adenosyl-L-methionine:trans-caffeoyl-coenzyme A 3-O-methyl-transferase (CCoAOMT), yielding feruloyl-CoA, increased to a transient maximum at 12 to 15 h. CCoAOMT cDNA was cloned from the elicited cells and was shown to encode a polypeptide highly homologous to CCoAOMTs from cells of Petroselinum species or Zinnia species. The expression of the cDNA in Escherichia coli revealed that grapevine CCoAOMT methylates both caffeoyl- and 5-hydroxyferuloyl-coenzyme A and is probably involved in phenolic esterification and lignification. Commercial plant activators induce the disease-resistance response of test plants and are considered to mimic the action of salicylic acid. Among these chemicals, 2,6-dichloroisonicotinic acid and benzo(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester provoke systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and were also shown to induce the expression of class III chitinase in grapevine. The SAR response is classified by an unchanged phenotype of tissues, but the mechanistic basis is unknown. Treatment of the cultured V. vinifera cells with either fungal elicitor or low concentrations of salicylic acid and 2,6-dichloroisonicotinic acid, respectively, raised the CCoAOMT or stilbene synthase transcript abundance, suggesting that grapevine is capable of the SAR response, whereas benzo(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester was ineffective. The data imply for the first time (to our knowledge) that the expression of phenyl-propanoid genes in grapevine is induced by SAR activators without phenotypic consequences and suggest a role for CCoAOMT and stilbene synthase in the disease-resistance response leading beyond the level of pathogenesis-related proteins as markers of the SAR.

The Relative Contribution of Nitrogen Originating From Two Seasonal Supplies to the Total Nitrogen Pool Present in the Bleeding Sap and in WholeVitis viniferacv. Pinot noir Grapevines at Bloom Time

The temporal mobilization of nitrogen reserves and their relative contribution to whole plant growth, have been studied in grapevines (<i>Vitis vinifera</i> L. cv Pinot noir). Four-year-old grapevines received in addition to nutrient medium the isotopic tracer ¹⁵N (as ¹⁵N-NO₃K) as a ten fold increase of the natural abundance, for a three week period. Two periods of ¹⁵N application were made either three weeks before leaf fall (in autumn) or three weeks preceding the beginning of shoot growth (at early spring). After collection of the spring xylem sap, at pruning-time, the same plants were sampled at bloom in order to determine both the amount and the redistribution of the isotopic tracer in the different parts of the plant. During the bleeding period, the autumnal N reserves represented 4% of the total pool of nitrogen present in the xylem sap, while 40% of the same pool originated from the spring supply. At flowering time, high amounts of "autumn" nitrogen remained stored in the perennial parts (30% of the total "autumn" storage), whereas the figure was only 17% in the case of spring ¹⁵N feeding. Thus, a major part (83%) of the N assimilated at spring was used to ensure the new shoot growth, and almost 60% was accumulated in the subapical part of these shoots. The relative specific allocation (RSA) values for N compounds originating from autumn or spring assimilation periods were calculated in the different parts of the grapevine at flowering time. The highest values of RSA observed in the base and the clusters indicated that they were fed preferentially at their earlier stages of growth by a highly labeled xylem sap. The lower values of RSA evidenced in the subapical part of the shoot, which developed later, could be explained by an important dilution of spring or autumn labeled nitrogen by unlabeled N compounds recently synthetized in the course of shoot elongation. This experiment underlined the importance of the stored nitrogen, particularly "spring" nitrogen, to ensure the first steps of new shoot growth until the leaves of the shoot base have been fully expanded.

Pattern recognition analysis of gas chromatographic data. Geographic classification of wines of Vitis vinifera cv Pinot Noir from France and the United States

Pattern recognition analysis of gas chromatographic data. Geographic classification of wines of Vitis vinifera cv Pinot Noir from France and the United States

Identification of some Volatile Compounds of Wine ofVitis ViniferaCultivar Pinot Noir

Sixty-six wine volatiles were identified by GC-MS, IR, and Kovats indices in an Oakville, California, <i>Vitis vinifera</i> cv Pinot noir wine. Extraction of the neutral fraction with methylene chloride, entrapment of the headspace volatiles with Porapak Q, and condensation of the headspace vapor were compared. The methylene chloride extract consisted mainly of the higher alcohols while the Porapak Q and the headspace condensate consisted principally of esters and ethyl alcohol. Nineteen alcohols in addition to ethanol and the usual fusel oil alcohols were identified. Acetates of the major alcohols and ethyl esters of the saturated even numbered fatty acids were most of the 30 identified. Ten components of other functionality were found. The headspace condensate contained only water and the major organic volatiles (12) in identifiable quantities. Identified in the Porapak Q headspace sample were a larger number of volatiles (19), but the methylene chloride extract permitted identification of an even larger number (66).

Pattern recognition analysis of elemental data. Wines of Vitis vinifera cv Pinot Noir from France and the United States

Pattern recognition analysis of elemental data. Wines of Vitis vinifera cv Pinot Noir from France and the United States