Researcher Pietro Previtali collecting sample Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for the study.
One of the many challenges for grape growers posed by climate change is the accelerated rate at which grapes ripen in warmer climates, which can result in poor colour and aroma development.
In a new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers from the University of Adelaide found it is possible to increase the flavour potential of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes by slowing down the ripening process with strategies including crop load manipulation and irrigation management.
“Groups of compounds were responsive to different factors, including crop load, irrigation, ripening rate and in some cases an interaction of these.”Lead author, Pietro Previtali from the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine