1. Berry Variability and Harvest Date - Impact on Wine Quality
Researcher: Olaf Schelezki
Supervisors: David Jeffery (The University of Adelaide), Alain Deloire (Montpellier SupAgro), Paul Petrie (CSIRO, AWRI)
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

2. Overview Size and ripening variability of grapes
Origins of variability
Berry size implications
Berry TSS implications
Standard deviation implications
Outlook and summary
Size and ripening variability of grapes, what does it have to do with hangtime?
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
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3. Size and ripening variability of grapes
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
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4. Background Size and ripening variability of grapes
Climate change led to compressed vintages and lack in flexibility in harvest decission.
Penfolds alcohol increase, but still in international comparison competetive (bordeaux, rioja etc), but high end product.
Lower end wine qualities less controlled, compressed ripening period, peeks, thats why research in irrigation or pruning methods important to stretch that out a bit. So harvest decissions may be more important as one or two days can make a huge differences, but not always possible to bring in all the fruit in a short time.
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

5. Background Size and ripening variability of grapes
Climate change led to compressed vintages and lack in flexibility in harvest decission.
Penfolds alcohol increase, but still in international comparison competetive (bordeaux, rioja etc), but high end product.
Lower end wine qualities less controlled, compressed ripening period, peeks, thats why research in irrigation or pruning methods important to stretch that out a bit. So harvest decissions may be more important as one or two days can make a huge differences, but not always possible to bring in all the fruit in a short time.
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

6. TSS, Berry Size, Colour.. Berry…. …TSS (region, microclimate,…)
Size and ripening variability of grapes
Berry….
…TSS (region, microclimate,…)
Basic wine composition
Non-volatiles
Volatiles
…Size (cell division, vintage, vineyard…)
Phenolic composition?
Other non-volatiles?
Direct linkages contradicting so far…
…Colour (ripeness, phytosanitary …)
Volatiles? %
Tails that may be controlles withouth significant loss of crop
TSS, Berry Size, Colour..
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

7. TSS, Berry Size, Colour.. Berry…. …TSS (region, microclimate,…)
Size and ripening variability of grapes
Berry….
…TSS (region, microclimate,…)
Basic wine composition
Non-volatiles
Volatiles
…Size (cell division, vintage, vineyard…)
Phenolic composition?
Other non-volatiles?
Direct linkages contradicting so far…
…Colour (ripeness, phytosanitary …)
Volatiles? %
25 Brix
-Pyrazines
-Seed tannins
-Unripe fruit characters
-High sugar
-High alcohol
-Overripe fruit characters
Tails that may be controlles withouth significant loss of crop
TSS, Berry Size, Colour..
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

8. TSS, Berry Size, Colour.. Berry…. …TSS (region, microclimate,…)
Size and ripening variability of grapes
Berry….
…TSS (region, microclimate,…)
Basic wine composition
Non-volatiles
Volatiles
…Size (cell division, vintage, vineyard…)
Phenolic composition?
Other non-volatiles?
Direct linkages contradicting so far…
…Colour (ripeness, phytosanitary …)
Volatiles? %
-Pyrazines
-Seed tannins
-Unripe fruit characters
-High sugar
-High alcohol
-Overripe fruit characters
25 Brix
Tails that may be controlles withouth significant loss of crop
TSS, Berry Size, Colour..
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

9. Origins of variability
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10. Origins of variability
Two main points, flowering to veraison, after veraison. Nitrogen and water detrimental. Continues vigour shit.
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

11. Origins of variability
Berry development on bunch
Ripening differences assumed to originate from flowering conditions; influence proportions of mid- and under-ripe berries
Hierarchy of factors influencing berry size seed<nitrogen<waterstatus
Importance according to scale
Softness TSS
Size
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

12. Origins of variability
water and nitrogen
seed
Seed, water status and nitrogen
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
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13. Berry size implications
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
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14. Smaller berries… Berry size implications …higher in TSS
…higher skin to pulp ratio (depends on plant water status PWS)
…higher in anthocyanins (depends on PWS)
…higher phenolic (but not higher than ‘’control’’)
…higher volatile concentrations?? Different volatile composition?!
Sorting according berry size will make different winestyles, but the magnitude and type of change will depend on vintage conditions, varieties etc. Particularly volatile composition is still poorly investigated and understood, indications are there. Smaller berries higher brix, lower IBMP. But, if skin to pulp ratio higher? Maybe more pyrazines because located in skins? Not all pyrazines are extracted during maceration though.
Within one block, if water potential variability is high, there will be a high variability of berry profile among a similar mass group, hence berry sorting by size does not make sense as wine style prediction is poor.
% of population
Small berries
Large berries
Control
Berry Diameter
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/
Triolo et al. 2016, Matthews et al. 2015, Roby et al. 2004

15. Berry size implications
2. Brix separation
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
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16. Berry TSS = Constant Berry size implications Berry Size
Total anthocyanin + colour density
Total phenolics

17. Berry Size = Constant Berry size implications Berry TSS
Total anthocyanin + colour density
Total phenolics

18. 2015 Vintage, McLaren Vale Berry size implications Harvest Date Sample
Brix pH
% abv
Berry weight (g)
3/02/2015 H1
20.5
3.03
11.4
0.89
9/02/2015 H2
23.9
3.75
13.5
0.84
18/02/2015 H3
27.4
4.02
15.1
0.69
22/02/2015 H4
Control
30.4
3.85
18.2
0.64
Sensory
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
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19. Berry size implicationsH1 H2 H3 H4
Small 0.1 to 0.6
Brix
21.2 27
31.7
>35.6
%total
3.2
3.3 6
9.9
Medium 0.7 to 1.3
21.4
24.3
28.3
32.2
83.1
89.8
92.2
89.9
Large 1.4 to rest
22.4
25.9
28.6
13.8
6.9
1.9
0.2
Stdev
0.21
Stdev
0.22
Stdev
0.24
IBMP
Obvious green aroma
Aroma detection threshold
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

20. Berry TSS implications

21. Berry TSS implications
Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale 2015
Stdev 1.68
Stdev 1.7
Stdev 2.2
Outlook, what will happen during this year and for next vintage.
Stdev 3.97
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

22. Berry TSS implications** ** ** **
Put here the IBMP graph. Shrivelled berries, source of higher IBMP? ** ** **
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
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23. Targeting overripe tail?
Berry TSS implications
Targeting overripe tail?
Avoid sluggish fermentation
Decrease alcohol
Enhance sensory quality?
Targeting unripe tail at H2 or H3?
15.2 %
18.2 % H1 H2 H3 H4
Small 0.1 to 0.6
Brix
21.2 27
31.7
>35.6
%total
3.2
3.3 6
9.9
Medium 0.7 to 1.3
21.4
24.3
28.3
32.2
83.1
89.8
92.2
89.9
Large 1.4 to rest
22.4
25.9
28.6
13.8
6.9
1.9
0.2
Sweetspot for sorting? That’s is why important to check pattern
Just adding water would maybe still result in hot/overripe sensory, better sorting out the shrivelled ones.
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

24. Standard Deviation Implications
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
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25. Standard Deviation Implications
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
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26. Standard Deviation Implications
1.13
1.42
1.14
2.38
2.41
2.79
1.63
2.48
If standard deviation for ripening just one year high, could be indication of wet flowering. If every year, than poor vineyard management. Additional feedback on vineyard management practices.
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/
0.2; 0.22; 0.21;
0.35; ; 0.32; 0.24

27. Standard Deviation Implications
Stdev 1.68
1.13
1.42
Stdev 1.7
1.14
Stdev 2.2
1.63
Stdev 3.97
Stdev
0.21
2016 and 2015 berry size variability was similar in cab sav, but the variability of ripening differed, hence the relationship between berry size and ripening. Different hydric regimes. Sorting in 2015 yes, in 2016? maybe
Stdev
0.22
Stdev
0.24
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/
0.2; 0.22; 0.21;

28. Standard Deviation Implications
Cabernet Sauvignon
H1 berries still heterogeneous, veraison effect, flowering, catching up (as seen in publications that from 20 to 24 brix, ripening has become more even. Small berry size has higher variation, particularly smaller than 0.8, here three sources of berry size/brix: early season seize of development, genetically ‘normal’ and shrivel, hence different TSS. STDV from H2 to H3 in other sizes declines, but increases again in H4… onset of shrivel? Shrivel development not on all berries ---microclima
Relation to berry size and brix smaller than in 2015 vintage
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

29. Why not saving this data?

30. Berry skin colour spectra and IBMP content
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
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31. Berry variability and harvest date
Berry size and TSS variability matters
How much? Depends on vintage condition and wine style
Sorting after TSS or size? Depends!
Hang time vs. early harvest + sorting?
Sorting only recommended if spatial variability is low within the harvested block.
Standard deviation -> quality parameter?
Optical sorting -> best source for information!
Margaret river nor rushed with climate change….so could consider checking out more.
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
adelaide.edu.au/tc-iwp/

32. ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production
Thank you
Acknowledgements
David Jeffery, Alain Deloire, Paul Petrie
Celine Bocquet
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production