Tannin accumulation and composition were determined in skins and seeds isolated from Vitis vinifera cv. Syrah grapes submitted to contrasting water regimes under semiarid climatic conditions. Three irrigation treatments were conducted, starting at berry set through harvest of two growing seasons, 2011 and 2012: irrigation at 100% of crop evapotranspiration ETc (FI), irrigation at 50% of ETc (DI) and non-irrigated (NI). Seed total tannins did not vary with maturity but those of skins underwent a progressive decline (especially in 2011), expressed both on a fresh weight and on a per berry basis. Skin total tannin concentration and content per berry were increased under NI and DI conditions, mainly in 2012. In contrast, seed total tannins (in 2012) and flavan-3-ol monomers and tannin oligomers (both years) were higher in the fully irrigated vines (FI). Skin polymer size increased during ripening, NI and DI skins showing higher mean degree of polymerization (mDP) compared to FI at harvest. NI was also associated with a lower percentage of galloylation (%G) in skin oligomeric fraction (in 2012) and a lower percentage of prodelphinidins in the skin polymeric fraction (both years) at harvest. The mDP and %G of seed extracts did not vary during ripening and were higher in NI but only in 2012. According to the results, management of vine water status was shown to influence tannin amount and composition of Syrah grapes grown under semiarid conditions.

The impact of barley variety and its geographical growth location (environment) on the flavour of new make spirit was investigated to determine if “terroir” can be applied in the production of single malt whisk(e)y. New make spirits were produced at laboratory scale under controlled conditions from two different barley varieties (Olympus and Laureate) grown at two distinct environments (Athy, Co Kildare and Bunclody, Co Wexford) in Ireland over two consecutive seasons (2017 and 2018). The spirit samples were analysed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry olfactometry and descriptive sensory analysis. Forty-two volatiles were detected with eight deemed as very influential and fifteen deemed as influential to the aroma of new make spirit. Sensory attributes were influenced by barley variety, environment, and the interactions thereof over both seasons, with environment and the interaction of variety x environment having a greater impact than variety alone. Chemometric analysis of the olfactometry and sensory data found that both environment and season had a greater impact on the aromatic sensory perception of the new make spirits than variety alone. Therefore, this study clearly demonstrates a “terroir” impact on the flavour of new make spirit and highlights its potential importance especially in relation to single malt whisk(e)y.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine and compare anthocyanin content and profile under variable irrigation regimes in four red grape cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.), the Greek indigenous cvs. Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro, alongside Syrah and Grenache noir. Methods and results: Three irrigation treatments were applied in a 6-year-old vineyard comprising all four varieties in a block design, starting at bunch closure (E-L 32) through harvest of 2012 and 2013: full irrigation (FI) at 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ET_c), deficit irrigation (DI) at 50% of ET_c and non-irrigated (NI). The identification of the compounds was performed by HPLC. Results showed that, under the hot summer conditions of the Greek climate, the four cultivars had a similar response regarding vigor and yield parameters, with values increasing with water supply. Anthocyanin concentration was maximized under non-irrigated conditions in all cultivars, but anthocyanin profile and relative distribution of individual anthocyanins among irrigation treatments showed a strong cultivar effect. Conclusion: Xinomavro seemed to favor the synthesis of more stable forms of anthocyanins under limited water supply (acylated over non-acylated and tri-oxygenated & methoxylated on the B-ring over di-oxygenated & hydroxylated) while Agiorgitiko had an opposite behavior, which might imply a need for a different irrigation strategy. Significance and impact of the study: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comparative report of anthocyanin composition and profile in berry skin, under contrasting water status, for the two most important red winegrapes of Greece.