Since 1988, alcohol has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, the highest level of risk, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). In fact, alcohol consumption is the third leading risk factor for disease and mortality in Europe. It accounts for 4.65 % of the global burden of both injury and disease, making it one of the most preventable causes of injury and death. Tissues in closest contact with alcohol when it is ingested, such as those of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus and larynx, have at greater risk of becoming cancerous than other body tissues. The consumption of alcohol is also associated with an increased risk of stomach, colon, rectum, liver, female breast and ovarian cancers. Conversely, recent studies suggest that red wine components inhibit colony formation of human breast cancer and esophageal carcinoma cells, suggesting that wine-derived phenolic compounds may be inhibitory, in contrast to the alcohol component of wine. Because of a lack of systematic studies dealing with the different types of cancer and alcoholic beverages and wine in particular, in this narrative review we summarize the general risk of cancer linked to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, including wine, according to type of cancer, with 140 extracted relevant references from 1966 to 2020. Mostly epidemiological studies concerning large cohorts have been selected. For the cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract, liver, colorectum, breast cancer, pancreatic, prostate, an excessive consumption and/or misuse of alcoholic beverages is correlated with increased risk. Conversely a probable decreased risk has been found for renal/kidney cancers, as well as for Non-Hodgkin lymphomas, such as thyroid lymphomas, associated with the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages. There is no evidence of ovarian, gastric, head and neck, and lung cancer being linked to the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages. Cancer is a multifactorial disease, and many factors contribute to effects on health status, usually being both genetic and environmental. Habits (smoking, dietary/lifestyle pattern/ habits, physical activity), should also be taken into account when defining appropriate consumption frequencies for different types of alcoholic drink (wine, beer, spirits). Further research is needed related to wine consumption in the context of a healthy dietary and lifestyle pattern given health-promoting constituents of wine and its effects on cancer incidence.

Volatile profiles were determined for white wines of Feteasca regala variety produced from musts in which the antioxidants glutathione and ascorbic acid were added in different proportions before inception of alcoholic fermentation. Treatments with these antioxidants affect some volatile compound evolution and positively influence the wine volatile profile. After one year of storage in bottles with and without carbon dioxide protection the volatile profiles of the wines were assessed by using a Fast GC Alpha MOS Heracles e-Nose by applying a DFA multivariate statistical method and AroChemBase database for compound identification. The analyses showed that some higher alcohols, such as 2-phenylethanol and 2-methyl-1-butanol were in lower concentrations in wines treated with reduced glutathione, while the main ethyl fatty acid esters, such as ethyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate were better preserved when higher concentrations of any of the antioxidants were added in must. On the other hand, it was observed that some other volatile compounds were not affected by these applied treatments.

The topography and pedoclimatic conditions in Romania are diverse and in many places highly favourable for viticulture. In the past 21 years it was observed that the climate slowly changed, with a visible impact on grape quality. The influence of climate change on grape growing depends however on the vineyard location, relief and soil, multiple combination of varieties and rootstocks, water supply, as well as viticultural practices. The influence of the climate change was studied during a long period of time, between 1998 and 2018, in our experimental vineyard at UASVM Bucharest (N Lat.: 44^∘47^′07^′′; E Long.: 26^∘076^′28^′′; elevation 87 m), located in the Southern part of Romania. The observations made during last twenty one years on qualitative and quantitative parameters of the most widespread Romanian grape variety, Fetească regală grafted on the Kober 5 BB rootstock, along with the calculated values for the usual climatic indices describing viticultural climate, showed some significant climate changes in comparison with a reference period between 1961 and 1997 taken from the existent scientific literature. Our observations during past twenty years reveal a trend of increase in all studied temperature-dependent climatic indices during the grape growing season, with a large variation in the absolute minimum temperatures during winter, which suggests a shift towards an increased thermal amplitude between summer and winter temperatures in certain years. Compared with the reference period (1961–1997), an increase in the following temperature-dependent indices was observed: +0.75 ^∘C for the average annual temperature; +0.78 ^∘C for average temperature in the growing season; +2.37 ^∘C for average maximum temperature in the warmest month; +2.11 ^∘C for average maximum temperature in the summer; +234 units in Huglin index; + 173 units in Winkler index and +0.35 ^∘C in Cool night index. These climate changes bring important variations of grape yield due to the minimum temperatures during winter and significant reduction of total acidity, along with a significant increase of sugar concentration. This study aids to understand and anticipate the rate of climate change in Southern Romania, the extent of the changes in grape quality and the interventions required to maintain constant grape and wine quality.

Due to their inhibitory effect on the growth and fermentation of yeasts, medium-chain fatty acids can be used for the production of naturally sweet wines. Addition of octanoic acid, decanoic acid or their combinations is able to stop the alcoholic fermentation, reducing at the same time the doses of sulphur dioxide addition needed for the same goal in the classical technologies. Doses in the range of 10–30 mg L⁻¹ of these acids were used, and their effect on the aroma profile of the sweet wines obtained was evaluated by using a chromatographic electronic nose with two columns. Based on the chromatographic peaks, which are considered the sensors of this e-nose, differentiation of the wines treated with octanoic or decanoic acids is easily achieved. The acid doses, the type of acid and also the yeast used for fermentations have all detectable influences on the volatile profiles of the wines. Discriminant factor analysis was applied on the e-nose data to separate the wines obtained with different treatments. Several differences in the content of the volatile compounds were identified and discussed in view of their sensory influences and the impact of treatment and yeast, respectively. Special attention was given to the formation of ethyl octanoate and ethyl decanoate which, at acid additions over 10 mg L⁻¹, are formed in quantities which have a detectable influence on the aromatic profile. Ethyl octanoate and decanoate are produced in direct relation to the dose of the corresponding acids, but the yeast named ST leads to higher amounts of ethyl decanoate while the one named ERSA leads to higher amounts of ethyl octanoate. In accordance with the e-nose results, the aromatic profile obtained by stopping the fermentation with decanoic acid and using the ERSA yeast is more complex, the wines thus produced preserving more of the varietal and fermentation aroma. This research will be continued at an industrial scale.

Using a calorimeter with 24 sample units the heat evolved during incubation of yeast cultures at 30°C was detected in the form of growth thermograms. Ethanol and methanol added to the culture medium produced changes in the growth thermograms that could be analyzed to calculate the 50% inhibitory concentration (K_i) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Correlation of the heat evolution curves with the number of cells and the turbidity of the culture was found to be very good. It was found that addition of ethanol and methanol up to 7.65% had clear effects of inhibition on growth of all yeast strains studied, reducing the growth rate constant and delaying growth. However, the amounts of ethanol produced from the nutrients available in the culture vial was only little affected by the initial addition of up to 7.65% (v/v) of ethanol or methanol in the medium.