Ozonated water is being introduced as an alternative phytosanitary treatment to control grapevine diseases in a context in which the reduction of chemical pesticides has become an urgent necessity. In this study, we evaluated the effect of spraying grapevines with ozonated water on the enological, phenolic, and aromatic qualities of Bobal wines during two consecutive growing seasons. In the first season, ozonated water was applied once during the ripening period on grapevines trained on the traditional gobelet system (S₁). In the second season, three applications were performed between fruit set and harvest on grapevines grown on a vertical trellis system (S₂). The S₁ treatment led to a wine with an increased alcoholic degree and a remarkably higher phenolic content, which resulted in preferable chromatic characteristics. The S₂ treatment maintained the total phenolic content but significantly enhanced stilbenes and flavanols and also reduced anthocyanins, which negatively affected the wine colour. Regarding aroma, both treatments reduced the content of glycosylated precursors and had different effects on free volatiles, both varietal and fermentative. Thus, the metabolic response of grapevines to the ozonated water stress, and therefore the quality of wines, depended on the ozone dose received by the plants.

Ozonated water has recently been incorporated in the management of grapevine diseases, which in turn can alter the fruit quality. When wood-inhabiting pathogens are involved, trunk injection or “endotherapy” represents a promising application method. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect on grape quality of ozonated water applied to Vitis vinifera L. cv. Bobal grapevines through endotherapy (E) or its combination with spraying (E + S). Grape quality at harvest was evaluated through several enological and chromatic parameters, the phenolic maturity, the varietal aroma potential index (IPAv) and the phenolic and volatile composition. The E treatment improved the chromatic characteristics and favored the accumulation of phenolic compounds. Conversely, E + S had a detrimental effect on the color and phenolic content and, although their synthesis was enhanced, the extractability of anthocyanins was negatively affected. In terms of aroma, both treatments reduced the content of glycosylated precursors but increased certain free volatiles. The application of ozonated water to grapevines, even when injected into the trunk, results in changes in fruit quality and a possible impact on wine attributes. Our findings and those in the literature support that, with the appropriate dose, frequency and method of application, ozonated water could be used with a twofold objective: disease management and grape quality improvement.