ENOFORUM 2020 AWARD to Hervé Alexandre, University of Burgundy
The selection process of scientific papers nominated for the ENOFORUM 2020 AWARD, a competition dedicated to international research whose purpose is to promote dialogue between the worlds of research and production in the wine sector, has been concluded. In this edition of the international competition, 35 scientific papers produced by 21 research groups participated, 14 of which were selected by the Scientific Committee to be presented orally at Enoforum 2020.
The Spanish edition of Enoforum 2020 was supposed to take place on May 7 and 8 in Zaragoza, however, the COVID-19 emergency forced the cancellation of the frontal congress. However, thanks to the experience in organizing webinars developed by the Vinidea team in recent years, it was possible to offer during the 12-hour digital event almost all the content initially planned, giving up only the tasting sessions and exhibition spaces. The presentation of the candidates selected for the award then took place as part of Enoforum Web, the first virtual congress in the world of wine, which resonated widely among the Spanish-speaking technicians to whom it was aimed, achieving great success in attendance with more than 2,000 registrants.
The peculiarity of the Enoforum Prize is the fundamental role played by agronomists and oenologists when defining the winners, after a preliminary selection phase by a qualified Scientific Committee composed in 2020 of 47 scientists in the field, of whom 24 are Spanish, 20 European and 3 from non-European countries.
The prize was awarded to Hervé Alexandre of the Mixed Food Processes and Microbiology (PAM) Research Unit, University of Burgundy (France), who presented the paper “Bioprotection in oenology: a real alternative to sulfites?” along with co-authors Scott Simonin, Chloé Roullier-Gall, Jordi Ballester and Raphaëlle Tourdot-Maréchal. The research, carried out between 2006 and 2009, investigates the early addition of microorganisms such as yeasts and bacteria on freshly harvested grapes or in the must before fermentation to allow the decrease of sulfites to be added.
The award de 2,500 € goes to the winner’s research fund, and is funded by Laboratorios Excell Ibérica S.L.
In addition to the winner, other research papers, which received high evaluation scores from technicians, deserve to be mentioned:
- Applications of chitosan in vineyards and effects on gene expression – Rupesh Singh, Virgílio Falco, Isaura Castro, Fernanda Cosme, Ana A. Oliveira, Centro de Chimica de Vila Real, University Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal).
- Technology to recover and modulate aroma lost during alcoholic fermentation – Lorenzo Guerrini, Alessandro Parenti, University of Florence (Italy)
- Measuring water potential: when, where, and why – Luis Gonzaga Santesteban García, Public University of Navarra; Diego S. Intrigliolo, CEBAS-CSIC; José M. Mirás-Avalos, CITA-Aragón; José M. Escalona, Balearic Islands University; Amelia Montoro, ITAP-Albacete (Spain)
- Sanitization of vinification grapes by Pulsed Light – Antonio Morata, Aitana Santamera, Iris Loira, María A. Bañuelos, Cármen González, ETSIAAB – Polytechnic University of Madrid (Spain)
The official presentation of the award is scheduled as part of the ENOMAQ 2021 congress program, which will take place Feb. 9-11, 2021, at the Zaragoza Fairgrounds (Spain).
The ENOFORUM “Research for Development” PRIZE.
The Enoforum Prize is awarded based on the evaluation given by wine technicians. The selection process includes three stages:
- Abstracts of submitted research papers are evaluated anonymously by the Scientific Committee according to the criterion of “the degree of innovation and interest of the topic addressed.”
- The papers receiving the highest scores are included in the Enoforum program of papers, where participating technicians evaluate them according to the criterion “usefulness for the development of wine production.” The five best-ranked papers make up the group of finalists.
- Scientific review: manuscripts submitted by finalists are reviewed by a panel of experts selected from the Scientific Committee, who analyze the “scientific value” of the research.
The Enoforum 2020 Award sees the support of Laboratorios Excell Ibérica S.L, a company created in 2008 in Logroño, La Rioja, thanks to the collaboration of well-known personalities from the French and Spanish wine worlds. More than an analytical laboratory, Excell Ibérica turns its expertise and advice to professionals in the wine and agribusiness supply chain so that the final product always lives up to the market’s most stringent quality criteria, ensuring greater success for wineries.
