European Grape Varieties Research Articles

SCREENING OF CONTAINS OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN TRADITIONAL WINES OF THE TRANSCARPATHIAN REGION

Antioxidants play an important role in human health by performing various functions, including anticancer. Among antioxidants, the most common are polyphenols, including anthocyanins, the main sources, of which are berries and fruits. Red grape wines are a potentially important source of antioxidants, and red wine polyphenols have anticancer and antioxidant effects and have a positive effect on blood red blood cells. This is obviously related to the so-called "French paradox" of wine, because the regular consumption of dry red wine by the French dramatically reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
 Transcarpathia has long traditions of grape wines production, known aboard of the country. This was facilitated by special climatic conditions, soil factors of the grape provinces of Transcarpathia and the skill of the winemakers. In this work we report, a high total content of polyphenolic compounds and anthocyanins in red wines derived from European grape varieties based on the screening of antioxidant content in traditional wines of Transcarpathia. Wines from grapes of the hybrid variety "Isabella" and European varieties "Merlot" and "Cabernet Sauvignon" were studied in three main wine-growing regions of the region. Among the studied red wines (harvested in 2020), the highest total content of polyphenolic compounds is observed in wine from Merlot grapes (2.75 g´L-1), which was obtained in Berehove district. In the same wine, there is the highest total content of anthocyanins (0.715 g´L-1, is 26% of the gross content of polyphenols). Such wine can have a high anti-cancer effect, and its consumption in moderate amounts will have a preventive effect on human health. At the same time, it is shown that the antioxidant properties of red grape wines persist for a short time after uncorking the bottles.

Correction to “Postharvest Treatment of Wood Biomass from a Large Collection of European Grape Varieties: Impact for the Selection of Polyphenol-Rich Byproducts”

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVCorrectionNEXTORIGINAL ARTICLEThis notice is a correctionCorrection to “Postharvest Treatment of Wood Biomass from a Large Collection of European Grape Varieties: Impact for the Selection of Polyphenol-Rich Byproducts”Kévin BilletKévin BilletEA 2106 “Biomolécules et Biotechnologie Végétales”, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Tours, F37200 Tours, FranceMore by Kévin Billet, Marianne UnlubayirMarianne UnlubayirEA 2106 “Biomolécules et Biotechnologie Végétales”, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Tours, F37200 Tours, FranceMore by Marianne Unlubayir, Thibaut MunschThibaut MunschEA 2106 “Biomolécules et Biotechnologie Végétales”, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Tours, F37200 Tours, FranceMore by Thibaut Munsch, Magdalena Anna MalinowskaMagdalena Anna MalinowskaEA 2106 “Biomolécules et Biotechnologie Végétales”, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Tours, F37200 Tours, FranceFaculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, 31-155 Cracow, PolandMore by Magdalena Anna Malinowska, Thomas Dugé de BernonvilleThomas Dugé de BernonvilleEA 2106 “Biomolécules et Biotechnologie Végétales”, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Tours, F37200 Tours, FranceMore by Thomas Dugé de Bernonville, Cécile MarchalCécile MarchalGrapevine Biological Resources Center, INRAE, Unité Expérimentale Domaine de Vassal, University of Montpellier, 34 340, Marseillan, FranceMore by Cécile Marchal, Sandrine DedetSandrine DedetGrapevine Biological Resources Center, INRAE, Unité Expérimentale Domaine de Vassal, University of Montpellier, 34 340, Marseillan, FranceMore by Sandrine Dedet, Audrey OudinAudrey OudinEA 2106 “Biomolécules et Biotechnologie Végétales”, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Tours, F37200 Tours, FranceMore by Audrey Oudin, Vincent CourdavaultVincent CourdavaultEA 2106 “Biomolécules et Biotechnologie Végétales”, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Tours, F37200 Tours, FranceMore by Vincent Courdavaulthttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8902-4532, Sébastien BesseauSébastien BesseauEA 2106 “Biomolécules et Biotechnologie Végétales”, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Tours, F37200 Tours, FranceMore by Sébastien Besseauhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5518-2580, Nathalie Giglioli-Guivarc’hNathalie Giglioli-Guivarc’hEA 2106 “Biomolécules et Biotechnologie Végétales”, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Tours, F37200 Tours, FranceMore by Nathalie Giglioli-Guivarc’h, and Arnaud Lanoue*Arnaud LanoueEA 2106 “Biomolécules et Biotechnologie Végétales”, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Tours, F37200 Tours, FranceFaculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, 31-155 Cracow, PolandGrapevine Biological Resources Center, INRAE, Unité Expérimentale Domaine de Vassal, University of Montpellier, 34 340, Marseillan, France*Arnaud Lanoue. Email: [email protected]More by Arnaud Lanouehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7377-8177Cite this: ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2021, 9, 48, 16526Publication Date (Web):November 19, 2021Publication History Received29 October 2021Published online19 November 2021Published inissue 6 December 2021https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c07353Copyright © 2021 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views235Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (564 KB) Get e-AlertsSUBJECTS:Plant derived food,Byproducts,Biomass,Cultivars Get e-Alerts

Postharvest Treatment of Wood Biomass from a Large Collection of European Grape Varieties: Impact on the Selection of Polyphenol-Rich Byproducts

Grape canes are viticulture byproducts representing a sustainable source of valuable bioactive polyphenols. However, varietal origin and postharvest treatment greatly influence the effective concentration of biomolecules, thus limiting industrial development. With the aim to develop grape cane extracts with high polyphenol contents, the selection of a specific grape variety combined with optimized postharvest treatment is the major determinant. A previously described postharvest treatment comprising cutting grapevine stalks of 0.5 cm length and storage at 15–20 °C over 2 weeks was applied on a selection of 44 grape varieties representative of the genetic diversity of the whole European collection and performing the screening of polyphenol contents. Varietal rankings according to major polyphenols (catechin, epicatechin, E-resveratrol, E-piceatannol, E-ϵ-viniferin, E-miyabenol C, ampelopsin A, E-vitisin B, hopeaphenol, and isophopeaphenol) were performed with and without the postharvest treatment. We observed that postharvest treatment greatly influenced the total polyphenol composition but also the ranking of polyphenol-rich varieties. This polyphenol screening of grape canes from a large collection of European varieties revealed the importance of postharvest treatment together with the selection of varieties to develop natural extracts based on grapevine wood biomass enriched with molecules with health benefits.

Vine performance benchmarking of indigenous Cypriot grape varieties Xynisteri and Maratheftiko

Aim: The aims of this study were to (1) formulate a baseline understanding of the performance of the indigenous Cypriot white grape Xynisteri and the red grape Maratheftiko (Vitis vinifera L.), and (2) compare these varieties to Shiraz and Sauvignon blanc grown in a Cypriot vineyard.Materials and results: The investigation involved multiple dry grown vineyards from the Krasochoria region of Lemesos, Cyprus, during the 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages. Vine performance measurements, including midday stem water potential, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, stomata density, vine phenology and vegetative and reproductive measurements, were taken at flowering, veraison and pre-harvest. Xynisteri had the greatest stomatal density, more shoots, more leaves, heavier bunches, greater yield, higher leaf water potential at harvest, and a stomatal conductance equal to Maratheftiko, but greater than that of both Shiraz and Sauvignon blanc. Maratheftiko had the longest shoots, largest shoot diameter and the greatest chlorophyll content out of all four varieties.Conclusions: This study identified the ability of the indigenous Cypriot grape varieties, Xynisteri and Maratheftiko, to better tolerate hot and dry conditions when compared to more commonly cultivated varieties grown in the same environmental conditions.Significance and impact of the study: The changing climate of wine growing regions worldwide is placing great pressure on the resources for sustainable viticulture. Many vineyards in hot climate zones base their businesses on European grape varieties traditionally grown in regions with abundant water resources. It is therefore necessary for the global wine industry to investigate grape varieties that are indigenous to hot climates. The eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus is one such place, with more than 10 indigenous grape varieties that grow well in a hot climate without irrigation. Consumer studies have demonstrated that wines made from these Cypriot varieties are equally, if not more, acceptable than wines made from more traditional European grapes; therefore, the potential for their use in other hot wine growing regions is promising.

Study of some natural characters for a group of European grape varieties Vitis vinifera L. planted in Tarhuna region

This study was carried out on a group of eight European grape varieties Vitis vinifera L. planted under rain fed irrigation in Tarhuna region during 2017 season. The aim was to evaluate some natural characters of the fresh fruits. These varieties are: (Moscat Elscandaria, Crimson, Victoria, Zorazi, Yellow Farina, Boaboud or Black Aboud, Local Black and Local White). Results showed highly significant differences amongst the varieties in all the studied traits. Farina variety produced heavier clusters and higher number of seeds per fruit (550 gm and 2 seed/fruit) respectively. On the other hand, results indicated that Victoria variety produced relativity higher weight and size of fruits (283.8 gm and 270.3 ml/50 fruits) respectively. the trait of the percentage of total soluble sold was significantly higher in Black Local variety (22.6%). Correlation analysis showed a statistically positive relationship between the weight and size of the fruit (value), and between the number of seeds per fruit and the percentage of total soluble sold (value). In general, results of this study showed a statistically significant variation amongst the varieties in their natural traits. .and the majority of the varieties compensated the lack in one trait with the strength in other traits. In conclusion, results of this study indicated that Victoria variety is the best option when grape varieties are planted for fresh consumption purpose, besides, Local Black variety is preferred for grape juice production.

Expression of stilbene synthase VqSTS6 from wild Chinese Vitis quinquangularis in grapevine enhances resveratrol production and powdery mildew resistance.

In grape (Vitis), stilbene phytoalexins can either be in situ synthesized or transported to the site of response during powdery mildew infection, enhancing disease resistance. Resveratrol is a phytoprotective stilbenoid compound that is synthesized by stilbene synthase (STS) in response to biotic and abiotic stresses, and is also known to have health benefits in the human diet. We have previously shown that transgenic Vitis vinifera cv. Thompson Seedless plants overexpressing a stilbene synthase gene, VqSTS6, from wild Chinese Vitis quinquangularis had a higher stilbenoid content, leading to an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (Uncinula necator (Schw.) Burr). However, the biosynthesis and transportation in the plant tissue under powdery mildew infection are still unclear. Here, inhibitor and micro-grafting technologies were used to study the accumulation of resveratrol following powdery mildew infection. We observed that the levels of STS expression and stilbenoids increased in response to powdery mildew infection. Powdery mildew and inhibitor treatment on detached grape branches showed that resveratrol was in situ synthesized. Experiments with grafted plantlets showed that the abundance of stilbenoid compounds increased in the shoot during VqSTS6 overexpression in the root, while VqSTS6-Flag fusion was not tranported to the scions and only expressedin thetransgenic rootstocks. Compared with wild-type Thompson Seedless plants, the non-transgenic/VqSTS6 transgenic (scion/rootstock) grafted Thompson Seedless plantlets exhibited increased resistance to powdery mildew. In addition, overexpression of VqSTS6 in roots led to increased levels of stilbenoid compounds in five other European grape varieties (V. vinifera cvs. Chardonnay, Perlette, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Muscat Hamburg). In conclusion, stilbenoid compounds can be either in situ synthesized or transported to the site of powdery mildew infection, and overexpression of VqSTS6 in the root promotes stilbenoids accumulation and disease resistance in European grapevine varieties.

Characterization of Iranian Grapevine Cultivars Using Machine Learning Models

Rapid and precise identification and distinguishing of clones and cultivars are critical issues in grape (Vitis vinifera L.). In this study, the efficiency of supervised machine learning algorithms to classify and predict Iranian grapevine cultivars was evaluated. Seventy grape genotypes including five European grape varieties and 65 Iranian grape cultivars were included for SSR profiling. To the selection of the most demonstrative and discriminating features (alleles), sixteen SSR data were then subjected to five weighting algorithms. Then, induction tree and Naive Bayesian methods were employed for model construction. The results indicated that the induction tree and Naive Bayes models classify and predict the cultivars with high accuracy (> 80%). Moreover, graphical models of the decision tree and weighting algorithms introduced the VVMD7_1_236, VVMD5_2_238, and ZAG47_2_167 as more important discriminative alleles for Local/National and Iranian/International cultivars prediction, respectively. The present study provided details on allele diversity by identification of effective polymorphic alleles in cultivars characterization using the supervised machine learning methods. Moreover, inexpensive, rapid and effective analytical tools were developed for future grapevine conservation and germplasm management programs.

Sensory and chemical profiling of Cypriot wines made from indigenous grape varieties Xynisteri, Maratheftiko and Giannoudhi and acceptability to Australian consumers

Aim: The aims of this study were to (1) generate sensory and chemical profiles of commercial Cypriot wines made from the white grape Xynisteri and the red grapes Maratheftiko and Giannoudhi and (2) assess the Australian consumers’ response to these wines.Methods and Results: A Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) method was used for sensory profiling of the wines (n=56 panellists on Xynisteri and n=60 on Maratheftiko and Giannoudhi) and to guide chemical analysis of flavour compounds. Chemical analysis involved quantitative analysis of aroma compounds by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and non-targeted profiling of phenolic compounds (non-volatile secondary metabolites) using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Australian wine consumer’s hedonic responses towards wines made from Cypriot grape varieties were also investigated. Consumers completed a questionnaire exploring their demographics, wine consumption habits, environmental/sustainability opinions and neophobic tendencies prior to the tasting. The first tasting (n consisted of six commercial Xynisteri, one Australian Pinot Gris and one Australian unwooded Chardonnay wines. The second (n=114) consisted of three Maratheftiko, one Giannoudhi and one Australian Shiraz wines.Conclusions: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the RATA study identified the following sensory characteristics for Xynisteri wine: stone fruit, dried fruit, citrus, herbaceous, grassy, apple/pear, confectionary, vanilla, creamy, buttery, wood, and toasty. Maratheftiko wines were described as woody, dried fruit, chocolate, herbaceous, confectionary, jammy, sweet and full bodied. Giannoudhi wine was described as woody, dried fruit, chocolate and full bodied. Chemical analysis identified 15 phenolic compounds in the white wine samples and 17 in the red wine samples, as well as 21 volatile/aroma compounds in the white wine samples and 26 in the red wine samples. These chemical compounds were then correlated with sensory data from the RATA and consumer hedonic responses using Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) and PCA to determine consumer liking drivers for the wines. Three clusters of consumers were identified for the white and red wines. The overall consumer means for liking indicated that Cypriot wines were liked similarly to Australian wines.Significance and impact of the study: Australia’s changing climate is placing great pressure on the resources for sustainable viticulture. Many vineyards and wineries base their businesses on European grape varieties traditionally grown in regions with abundant water resources. It is therefore necessary for the Australian wine industry to investigate grape varieties that are indigenous to hot climates similar to Australia. The eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus is one such place with indigenous grape varieties that grow well in a hot climate without irrigation. These popular Cypriot wines have the potential to be popular with Australian consumers, thus offering new grape varieties to the Australian market that are better suited to the changing climate.

Targeted and untargeted high resolution mass approach for a putative profiling of glycosylated simple phenols in hybrid grapes

Vitis vinifera is one of the most widespread grapevines around the world representing the raw material for high quality wine production. The availability of more resistant interspecific hybrid vine varieties, developed from crosses between Vitis vinifera and other Vitis species, has generated much interest, also due to the low environmental effect of production. However, hybrid grape wine composition and varietal differences between interspecific hybrids have not been well defined, particularly for the simple phenols profile. The dynamic of these phenols in wines, where the glycosylated forms can be transformed into the free ones during winemaking, also raises an increasing health interest by their role as antoxidants in wine consumers.In this work an on-line SPE clean-up device, to reduce matrix interference, was combined with ultra-high liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry in order to increase understanding of the phenolic composition of hybrid grape varieties. Specifically, the phenolic composition of 4 hybrid grape varieties (red, Cabernet Cantor and Prior; white, Muscaris and Solaris) and 2 European grape varieties (red, Merlot; white, Chardonnay) was investigated, focusing on free and glycosidically bound simple phenols and considering compound distribution in pulp, skin, seeds and wine. Using a targeted approach 53 free simple phenols and 7 glycosidic precursors were quantified with quantification limits ranging from 0.001 to 2mgKg−1 and calibration R2 of 0.99 for over 86% of compounds. The untargeted approach made it possible to tentatively identify 79 glycosylated precursors of selected free simple phenols in the form of -hexoside (N=30), -pentoside (21), -hexoside-hexoside (17), -hexoside-pentoside (4), -pentoside-hexoside (5) and -pentoside-pentoside (2) derivatives on the basis of accurate mass, isotopic pattern and MS/MS fragmentation.

Empire of Vines: Wine Culture in America. By Erica Hannickel (Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013) 298 pp. $39.95 cloth

This provocative book analyzes the pre-Prohibition history of American grape growing and winemaking in the context of imperialist expansion. It does not break new ground; other books—particularly Thomas Pinney, A History of Wine in America, From the Beginnings to Prohibition (Berkeley, 1989) and Lukacs, American Vintage: The Rise of American Wine (New York, 2000)— cover much the same territory. Instead, it shifts focus away from the story of wine per se to an account of wine as one example in a larger, more complex story of national identity. Unfortunately, Hannickel subverts her project by treating interpretations of that identity as unquestioned facts, and by inventing facts to fit her interpretations. Her argument becomes increasingly predictable; it is as much about her own political views as about wine.Those views see American history as a record of imperialist conquest disguised by rhetoric upholding various myths of nature’s beneficence in a new world Eden. Hannickel contends that the ways in which people talked about grapes and wine contributed to the attractiveness of this rhetoric. Whether in New York, the Ohio Valley, or California, the language used to describe grape growing “was generative of nineteenth-century American national identity and ideal visions of urban and rural life” (17). It was, however, always a masquerade. Such language failed to depict reality; in fact, it deliberately hid reality from view. To Hannickel, what really happened was simply violent conquest and exploitation, and she is most interested in the reasons why Americans did not see what was happening all around them.The problem with this view is not just that other interpretations of American history are equally plausible but also that Hannickel distorts the story of American wine in order to make it fit her political viewpoint. Viticulture in nineteenth-century America was largely a series of failures; only California wine near the close of the period could even approach the style and quality of European wine. Most other American wines were unpleasant to drink. The literature of American wine is replete with questions about why a land filled with so much natural bounty yielded such bad wines (the answer concerns vine diseases against which fragile European grape varieties never developed an immunity). Hannickel ignores this issue, instead arguing that wine and grapes became symbols of American efforts to justify an empire of bourgeois consumerism.Three of the myths of American identity that Hannickel sees as implicated in the wine industry are the Dionysian myth of nature as alternately bountiful and wild, the imported myth of terroir (the interaction of environment with plant genetics), and the Jeffersonian myth of an agrarian republic. Not surprisingly, she thinks that all three of them served to conceal the realities of empire building. Whether or not she is correct (the story appears to be much more complicated), the specifics of her argument do not work. Although certain American writers, including early winemakers, described the country in Edenic terms, no one envisioned it as a locus for a new Dionysus. Similarly, early grape growers paid attention to locale, but they did not focus on terroir, as that word had not yet acquired its contemporary meaning in French, let alone English. Moreover, Thomas Jefferson certainly tried to grow grapes for wine, which he praised as a gift of nature, but he, like many others, failed. For that very reason, he ended up with a collection of European, not American, wines at Monticello.In Empire of Vines, Hannickel advances an intriguing, though flawed, thesis that is as much about American politics as American wine or wine culture. She wants to give the wine grape in nineteenth-century America a cultural significance that far exceeds its actual social or economic significance. Wishing for something, however, does not make it so, and a great deal of this book is just that—wishful thinking.

Phenolic concentrations and antioxidant properties of wines made from north american grapes grown in china.

The characteristics of wine phenolics found in several North American and (for comparison) European grape cultivars grown in China were analyzed. This was done to find non-Vitis vinifera wines with prominent features in order to diversify the kinds of wines. The phenolic richness and antioxidant activity decreased in the order: red > rose > white wines. In the red wines, the American grape ‘Cynthiana’ had the highest total concentrations of phenols, anthocyanins, flavonols and phenolic acids, as well as antioxidant capacity, followed by the French hybrid ‘Chambourcin’, the lowest were detected in two European grape varieties, ‘Merlot’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’, while the total flavon-3-ols levels were reversed among these red grape cultivars. The highest concentration of stilbenes out of all the wines analyzed was found in the ‘Merlot’ variety. There were significant differences among wine phenolic compositions between North American and European grape cultivars. The antioxidant activities were significantly related to the concentrations of total phenols (r2 = 0.996), anthocyanins (r2 = 0.984), flavonols (r2 = 0.850) and gallic acid (r2 = 0.797). The prominent features of wine aroma and nutrition could make the American grape wines attractive to consumers. It is therefore necessary to perform further research on cultural practices and wine making involving these grapes.

Genetics and Ampelography Trace the Origin of Muscat fleur d’oranger

Examination of molecular profiles of grape cultivars, including some with aromatic flavor, has identified the pedigree of Muscat fleur d’oranger (or Orange muscat) as the descendant of two historical and important European grape varieties. This grape with muscat flavor and a particular note of orange blossom was apparently derived from a cross between Chasselas and Muscat à petits grains blancs (Muscat blanc). This hypothesis is supported by genetic, morphological, and historical evidence.

TOWARDS IDENTIFICATION, ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF DISEASE RESISTANT GENES FROM THE NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN GRAPE SPECIES VITIS SHUTTLEWORTHII

Diseases such as Pierce's disease, anthracnose, and downy mildew are the limited factors of growing the European grapes (Vitis vinifera) in the southeast United States. On the other hand, many native North American grape species are tolerant/ resistant to these diseases. However, little has been know about the mechanism and genetic basis of the host resistance, which has been greatly hampering our ability to genetically manipulate the host resistant genes for cultivar improvement. To improve disease resistance of the European grape varieties by using the host resistance from the native American species, a functional genomic project with emphasis on identifying, isolating, and characterizing disease resistant genes was initiated at the Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research, Florida A&M University, in collaboration with the USDA-ARS Horticultural Research Laboratory at Fort Pierce, Florida. Vitis shuttleworthii, one of the most disease/pest resistant grape species originated from the southeastern United States, was chosen for the EST sequencing. We have sequenced 22,500 ESTs, from which about 9,000 unigenes were generated. Functional annotation revealed that more than 7% of them were correlated to disease resistance. Comparative genomic analysis indicated that about 20% of the genes found in the native grapes did not have homology in the European grapes (screening approximately 170,000 ESTs and 23,000 unigenes). The potential usefulness of these unique genes as genetic markers linked to disease resistance, and their role in disease resistance pathways are being further examined using microarray analysis. Among the homologous gene sequences between V. shualwworthii and V. vinifera, a high frequency of SNPs was detected between the two genomes. Functional analysis revealed that high percentage of these SNP variations may be correlated to disease resistance.

The Niagara Peninsula viticultural area: A climatic analysis of Canada's largest wine region

A semi-continental climate moderated by two of the Great Lakes coupled with a wide range of mesoclimates, topographies and soils are some of the distinguishing characteristics of the Niagara Peninsula viticultural area. The history of grape cultivation spans over 150 years, while that of wine production using European grape varieties dates back about 30 years. Although Vitis labrusca is still grown commercially, French–American hybrids and French European varieties are used exclusively for table wines. This study examines the topographic and climatic attributes of this cool climate wine region and provides a general comparison of growing season conditions with those of other established wine regions in Europe and North America. Generally, such factors as the growing degree days, monthly mean temperatures, precipitation and sunshine hours compare favourably with France's Bordeaux and Burgundy regions. Nonetheless, as is typical of cooler mid-latitude continental climates, the Niagara Peninsula experiences frequent damaging temperatures in the winter, late spring and early autumn as well as year-to-year variability in growing season conditions. These characteristics together with heavy and poorly drained clay soils constitute the main limitations to viticulture.

Bud Survival of Grape Varieties at Sub-Zero Temperatures in Washington

Below-zero temperatures between December 8 and 14, 1972, with rather uniform minimums of —5 to —7°F over the main grape growing areas of Washington, provided an opportunity to evaluate the effect of vine condition on the cold-hardiness of American, French hybrid, and European grape varieties being grown experimentally and commercially. Following these low temperatures a critical examination of buds, arms, and trunks showed that out of 88 European varieties 39 had little or no injury; out of 34 American varieties 17 showed no injury; and of 14 French hybrids there were 11 that were not appreciably affected.

On the results of trial growing of newly introduced European grape varieties (Vitis vinifera L. ). II.

In the results of successive trial growing of the newly introduced European grapes, the following varieties were observed to grow well even outdoors in Tokyo district of Japan and to have special quality; 1) For table use: Incrocio Pirovano No. 28, Incrocio Pirovano No. 150 (Angelo Pirovano), Incrocio Pirovano No. 192 (Tereza Pirovano). 2) For table and wine use: Seyve-Villard 20-365 (Dattier de St-Vallier), Seyve-Villard 18-285, Seyve-Villard 12-375, Seibel 10076, Moscato bianco, Moscato nero. 3) For brewing of wine: Riesling Italico, Verdiso.