Breeding technologies exploiting marker-assisted selection have accelerated the selection of new cross-bred pathogen-resistant grapevine varieties. Several genotypes have been patented and admitted to cultivation; however, while their tolerance to fungal diseases has been the object of several in vitro and field studies, their productive and fruit composition traits during ripening are still poorly explored, especially in warm sites. In this study, five white pathogen-resistant varieties (PRV) listed as UD 80–100, Soreli, UD 30–080, Sauvignon Rytos, Sauvignon Kretos were tested over two consecutive seasons in a site with a seasonal heat accumulation of about 2000 growing degree days (GDDs), and their performances were compared to two Vitis vinifera L. traditional varieties, Ortrugo and Sauvignon Blanc. Berries were weekly sampled from pre-veraison until harvest to determine total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) dynamics. All tested PRV exhibited an earlier onset of veraison and a faster sugar accumulation, as compared to Ortrugo and Sauvignon Blanc, especially in 2019. At harvest, Sauvignon Blanc was the cultivar showing the highest titratable acidity (8.8 g/L). Ortrugo and PRV showed very low TA (about 4.7 g/L), with the exception of Sauvignon Rytos (6.5 g/L). However, data disclose that Sauvignon Rytos higher acidity at harvest relies on higher tartrate (+1.1 to +2.2 g/L, as compared to other PRV), whereas in Sauvignon Blanc, high TA at harvest is due to either tartaric (+1 g/L, compared to PRV) and malic (+2.5 g/L, compared to PRV) acid retention. Overall, Sauvignon Rytos is the most suited PRV to be grown in a warm climate, where retaining adequate acidity at harvest is crucial to produce high-quality white wines. Nevertheless, canopy and ripening management strategies must be significantly adjusted, as compared to the standard practice employed for the parental Sauvignon Blanc.

An urgent challenge posed by climate change in warm grapevine-growing areas is accelerated ripening, which leads to rapid sugar accumulation while phenolics and aroma traits lag behind. Techniques that enable selectively delaying the sugar accumulation process without affecting the accumulation of secondary metabolites are essential. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of apical-to-cluster defoliation, manually applied in 2019 at the onset of veraison (D₁) or 20 days later (D₂), which removed about 30–40% of the pending total leaf area without altering the cluster microclimate compared with a non-defoliated control (C). Ripening trends, vegetative growth, yield components, and the final grape and wine composition, as well as wine sensorial attributes, were assessed. Although both treatments significantly lowered the final leaf area-to-yield ratio (0.80–0.90 m²/kg) compared with the 1.35 m²/kg recorded in the C vines, only D₁ reduced the final total soluble solids (TSS) at harvest (2 °Brix less than C). However, the total anthocyanins were similarly limited, and titratable acidity (TA) did not differ from the C vines. The D₁ wine was deemed similar to that made from control plants. Conversely, D₂ failed to delay ripening, yet the D₂ wine was deemed superior in terms of olfactory intensity, body, fruitiness, balance, and overall preference. Although the study was conducted over a single season, the results are robust enough to conclude that the timing of defoliation—i.e., the level of TSS concurrently reached by the C treatment—is crucial to achieving specific effects. Early defoliation appears valid for postponing ripening into a cooler period, making it quite interesting in warm–hot areas with a very long growing season; a much later defoliation, likely due to the interaction between mean canopy age and more light filtering from above the cluster zone, can elevate the quality of and appreciation for the final wine.

Several narrow or broadband spectral indices can be calculated at varying spatial and spectral resolution, which can then be correlated with the physiological and nutritional status of the leaves. In a three-year trial carried out on fruiting, potted cv. Barbera grapevines subjected to full (N+) or no (N0) nitrogen supply, seasonal evolution of different leaf spectral indices were correlated with non-destructive chlorophyll readings (Minolta SPAD meter), leaf gas exchange, and vine performance. Throughout the entire trial, N starvation resulted in greater-than-proportional limitation of vine yield as compared to vegetative growth (55% compared to 26% less than values measured on N+). Indices calculated within the red-edge spectral domain had highest sensitivity to relative change between N+ and N0, also indicating that the promptest response was recorded at the median shoot zone level. Twelve broadband indices were linearly correlated with leaf blade N concentration at veraison, indicating that N values ≤ 1.8% of dry matter identify a limiting N status. Any of these indices collected at the leaf level can be reliably used as a non-destructive predictor of N availability, albeit due to significant between-year variation in their absolute values at a given N level, readings should always include a well-supplied N treatment.

Global warming is challenging the performances of medium-to-late ripening red Vitis vinifera cultivars whose harvest dates might be consistently anticipated at the detriment of still insufficient phenolic maturity. A 3-year study (2021–2023) was devised to compare cv Croatina—the most grown red cultivar in the Oltrepò Pavese district—with the following five autochthonous genotypes: Croà, Moradella, Mornasca, Ughetta, and Uva Rara. Weather trends, main yield components, and grape composition parameters were recorded each year; in two out of the three trial seasons, ripening curves for total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) were also derived. In terms of yield performance, all minor varieties showed a level of basal node fruitfulness (about 1.1 clusters/shoot) high enough to perform short pruning, which was not possible to achieve in Croatina. As per grape quality at harvest, Uva Rara behaved quite similarly to Croatina, whereas Ughetta, Moradella, and Croà were judged to be unsuitable due to poor berry coloration at harvest (less than 0.7 mg/kg). Conversely, Mornasca’s performance was truly interesting and promising. In 2021 and 2023, Mornasca had delayed sugar accumulation, which was strongly uncoupled with total anthocyanins, which were not limited. In 2022, a hot and dry season, Mornasca outdid Croatina because the required TSS was assured, and the color significantly improved. The conclusion is that Mornasca is less susceptible than Croatina to imbalances in pigment formation or degradation, which typically occurs with berry overheating.

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) such as rolled cover crops are increasingly adopted in rainfed vineyards to reduce soil degradation and drought risk, but their effectiveness depends on local soil physical conditions. We compared spontaneous inter-row vegetation managed by mowing (Control) with a cereal-based rolled cover crop (C-R) in two vineyards of the Oltrepò Pavese (Northern Italy) with contrasting texture, structure, and slope: Canevino (CNV) and Santa Maria della Versa (SMV). From 2021 to 2025, continuous soil moisture monitoring was combined with field measurements of saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) and bulk density, interpreted using temporal indicators (MRD, ITS) and a drought index (SWDI) calibrated to field moisture thresholds. During wet phases, average saturation at 50 cm was consistently higher at SMV (about 78 to 84 percent) than at CNV (about 68 to 75 percent). Under water-limited conditions, management contrasts were most evident at SMV: at 50 cm during the post-termination dry phase, saturation remained around 70 percent under C-R versus about 64 percent under the Control, and K_s was higher under C-R (8.32 × 10⁻⁶ m/s in topsoil) than under the Control (7.39 × 10⁻⁶ m/s). At CNV, SWDI at 50 cm indicated a moderate improvement in one agronomic year (median −1.2 under C-R versus −5.3 under the Control in 2021 to 2022), while a full tillage operation in 2024 defined a disturbed phase that was interpreted separately. SWDI occasionally suggested severe drought levels not fully matching field evidence, highlighting the need for site-calibrated reference thresholds in structured fine-textured soils. Overall, soil physical properties set the hydrological envelope, while rolled cover management can enhance buffering and preserve conductive pathways during dry phases; therefore, NbS performance should be evaluated with site-adapted monitoring and cautious inference from temporally autocorrelated time series.

Barbera and Croatina are the two most important grapevine varieties characterizing wines from several districts in North-West of Italy; they coexist on the hilly territories sited south of the Po river (historically known as “western-cispadana” area) where they are also blended together to obtain local wines such as Buttafuoco and Rosso Oltrepo Pavese in Lombardia, and Gutturnio in Emilia Romagna. Ervi is an intraspecific crossbreed between Barbera and Croatina performed in the ‘70s and selected over the last decades in order to improve some agronomical traits of both parents. The present study represents the first characterization of development, production and enological performance of the cv. Ervi in Lombardia and, more specifically, in the Oltrepo Pavese wine district. Long-term results related to a field-based assessment as well as the sensory profiling of wines produced at a micro scale are reported. When compared to Barbera and Croatina, Ervi shows improved productivity respect to Croatina and a better composition as compared to both its parents. Results recommend the introduction of the cv. Ervi in Lombardia for the production of high quality red wines.