Browsing by Author "Van Noordwyk, Marelize"

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    Interaction of water deficit, canopy modification and ripening : effect on the phenolic and colour composition of Shiraz grapes & subsequent wine
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-12) Van Noordwyk, Marelize; Du Toit, Wessel J.; Strever, A. E.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Viticulture and Oenology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Phenolic compounds are important quality indicators of a red wine, as they can contribute to the colour of a young red wine, colour stability during ageing as well as astringency, bitterness, body and overall mouthfeel properties. Wine composition is commonly influenced by winemaking and viticultural practices. In South Africa it often happens that vines are excessively vigorous, resulting in canopies that are too dense, which in turn could have a negative effect on the quantity and quality of the grapes produced. Viticultural practices such as judicious canopy management and irrigation are designed to control vine vigour and yield, thus improving fruit ripening and colour development. Artificial shading and water deficit have been reported to have an influence on the sensory properties of red wine as well as on the flavonoid composition. These effects are dependent on a number of factors, however, including the season, cultivar, light intensity, and the extent and timing of water deficit. There is limited research on the possible interactive effects of grapevine water deficits and canopy manipulation on grape and wine flavonoid composition in Shiraz, as well as the relationships between berry and wine composition. We thus investigated the effect of canopy reduction in combination with water deficit on the phenolic and colour composition of Shiraz grapes at different levels of ripeness, and in their corresponding wines after alcoholic and malolactic fermentation as well as after six months’ ageing. This study found that it is possible to improve the phenolic composition of grapes and wine by shoot removal, and some of the tendencies in the wines were also observed after the ageing period. If the shoot removal is not performed at a very early stage, sunburn damage can occur and this will result in berries with a lower mass and volume at harvest due to excessive exposure without the berry having adapted to the imposed conditions. Harvesting at different ripeness levels also affected the chemical and phenolic composition of the grapes and resulting wines. The water deficit effect on most phenolic parameters measured in the grapes and wine was not as prominent as that of the canopy manipulation treatment. This study improved our understanding of how an improvement in the canopy microclimate of Shiraz could be reflected in the phenolic composition of wines, along with a potentially important effect of harvesting date. On this basis it may be possible to attain a specific wine style. Harvesting at a ripe stage, for example, could result in the production of wines with higher colour density and astringency, while unripe grapes could result in wines with higher levels of perceivable fresh berry attributes. In particular, canopy reduction could increase the astringency and body of wines made from grapes subjected to water deficit.