Climate change and global warming are a reality with which we have to deal and which forces us, in various areas, to find suitable solutions to cope with the consequences arising from it. In viticulture, summers that are too hot result in grapes that are rich in sugars but poor in acid, aromatic and phenolic compounds, as well as bringing with them an increase in diseases and problems of tartaric, calcic, protein and microbiological instability.

Perdomini-IOC suggests some solutions from specific experimental programs, which can overcome these problems.

Decreasing acidity and excessive pH elevation due to rising temperatures can be managed by using a natural solution to bring freshness in aroma and balance on the palate in red, white and rosé wines, as well as being an alternative to chemical acidification. This is where IOC BoreALTM, (Lachancea thermotolerans), i.e., a non-Saccharomyces yeast capable of converting sugars (particularly glucose) to L-lactic acid during the early stages of alcoholic fermentation, increases total acidity in wines.

As part of the problems of instability due to rising temperatures, among the most prevalent is protein instability on which protease enzymes can be effectively acted upon. Zimopec ProteaseTM is a liquid enzyme preparation, obtained from Aspergillus niger, designed to stabilize proteins that cause cloudiness and cloudiness in white and rosé wines. This enzyme works by breaking down proteins and thus degrading their structure. After the structure is degraded, the proteins lose their ability to flocculate and the wine remains stable.

The growing problems of microbiological instability that wineries are called upon to manage can also be successfully controlled. A valuable support is that of prefermentative bioprotection for which the IOC Group has studied the effectiveness of specific non-Saccharomyces yeast strains, IOC GaiaTM and IOC CalypsoTM respectively a Metschnikowia fructicola and a Metschnikowia pulcherrima; the former capable of combating unwanted yeasts, the latter with enzymatic action of revealing aromatic precursors present in the must being stabled. In addition, these yeast strains make it possible to reduce organoleptic deviations and the risks of too early initiation of alcoholic fermentation, occupying an ecological niche that makes it possible to limit the use of SO2. In the fermentation phase, moreover, microbiological contaminations can be managed by using selected bacteria in co-inoculum for controlled malolactic fermentation, thus avoiding unwanted spontaneous fermentations, which would have a negative impact on the final quality of the wine.

For more information or insights, contact our local technicians or the Perdomini-IOC Group enology team.