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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Davis, California » Crops Pathology and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #398810
Research Project: Resilient, Sustainable Production Strategies for Low-Input Environments

Location: Crops Pathology and Genetics Research

Title: Longer cluster hanging time decreases the impact of grapevine red blotch disease in Vitis vinifera L. Merlot across two seasons

Author
item GIRARDELLO, RAUL - University Of California, Davis
item Rumbaugh, Arran
item PERRY, ANJI - J Lohr Vineyards And Wines
item HEYMANN, HILDEGARDE - University Of California, Davis
item BRENNEMAN, CHARLES - University Of California, Davis
item OBERHOLSTER, ANITA - University Of California, Davis

Submitted to: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/6/2023
Publication Date: 9/14/2023
Citation: Girardello, R.C., Rumbaugh, A.C., Perry, A., Heymann, H., Brenneman, C., Oberholster, A. 2023. Longer cluster hanging time decreases the impact of grapevine red blotch disease in Vitis vinifera L. Merlot across two seasons. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 104(2):860-874. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.12983.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.12983

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) is a recently discovered virus and a major concern for the wine industry. Prior research indicated that GRBV delays grape ripening reducing Brix and anthocyanin concentrations in grapes from infected vines, resulting in higher ethanol concentrations in wines made from healthy fruit compared to diseased vines, which impacted sensory properties. In this study, infected fruit (Vitis vinifera L. Merlot) was sequential harvested (in 2016 and 2017) and chaptalized (in 2017) to ameliorate the impact of GRBV on grape and final wine composition. Chemical parameters includings phenolic and volatile profiles of grapes and their subsequent wines were measured. Sensory properties were determined by descriptive analyses. Results demonstrated that GRBV decreased sugar accumulation and anthocyanin synthesis in grapes. Wines from GRBV grapes harvested at later ripening stage produced wines that were more similar chemically and sensorially to wines to wines made from healthy fruit than to wines made from GRBV fruit harvested earlier. The longer hang time of GRBV grapes is a potential strategy to mitigate the impacts of GRBV. However, chaptalization of diseased fruit must was inefficient at increasing similarities with wines made from healthy fruit.