Auteures : Karine Pedneault1 (Speaker and PI), Sara Nisi Cerioni,1 Paméla Nicolle,1 Aurélie Roland,2

1 Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC ; 2 L’institut Agro MontpellierAbstract :

Derived from crosses between Vitis vinifera and North American and/or Asian species, resistant grape varieties are receiving increasing attention in the wine industry due to their enhanced resistance to fungal diseases, allowing for significant reductions in phytosanitary treatments when compared to traditional grape varieties. However, their adoption by the industry stakeholder and growers remains limited. This is partly attributable to their particular chemical composition, which most often affects the quality of the wines produced. One of the major challenges lies in the aromatic expression of these grape varieties, often perceived as insufficient or marked by undesirable aromas. Another challenge, specific to cold regions, is high acidity, a phenomenon largely attributable to the climate, but also having a strong varietal component. Certain oenological processes such as cryomaceration, drying of grapes on the vine, or carbonic maceration can help reduce acidity. They can also modify the aromatic profile and stimulate the production and/or extraction of aroma precursors in musts, before fermentation. In the recent years, our team has studied the impact of different post-harvest and winemaking processes, as well as their key parameters (temperature, time), with the aim of reducing acidity and improving the aromatic profile of musts prior fermentation and, ultimately, wine, in different resistant grape varieties. We particularly focused on changes in glycosylated and thiol (tropical aroma) precursors profiles in berries and must, and free aroma compounds in wine. The results of these trials will be presented at this conference.