Assessment of grape exposure and UV radiation effects on rotundone in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tardif under warm and dry vintage conditions
Abstract
Rotundone is the main aroma compound responsible for peppery notes in wines. Its biosynthesis is negatively affected by heat and drought, whereas the impact of light, particularly ultraviolet (UV) radiation, remains unestablished. This study aimed to investigate, under field conditions, the effects of grape exposure and UV treatments on rotundone in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tardif. During the warm 2022 season, four treatments were compared to a control using a randomised complete block design with three replicates per treatment: early defoliation at Eichhorn & Lorenz stage 32 (ED), late defoliation at stage 34 (LD), exclusion of UV-A and UV-B radiations on late-defoliated vines using radiation screens (LD-UV), and four UV-C modulated light applications during daytime between mid-veraison and harvest on late-defoliated vines (LD+UV). No differences were observed between the control and ED, likely due to leaf regrowth limiting the initial increase in cluster exposure. In contrast, the LD treatment resulted in a significant 33 % increase in rotundone. LD-UV did not affect bunch zone air temperature but caused a significant reduction in rotundone, highlighting the key role of UV in its biosynthesis. UV-C treatments applied during daytime had no effect, whereas preliminary results on a limited number of fruiting cuttings suggest a substantial increase when treatments were applied at night. Overall, these results indicate that winegrowers cultivating Tardif can use late defoliation to enhance rotundone biosynthesis even during warm vintages. The effects of UV-C treatments warrant further validation on a larger number of vines under field conditions.
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BibTeX
@article{geffroy2026assessment,
title = {{Assessment of grape exposure and UV radiation effects on rotundone in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tardif under warm and dry vintage conditions}},
author = {Olivier Geffroy and Thomas Baerenzung Dit Baron and Christian Chervin and Chloé Cuif and Marie Denat and Carole Feilhès and Élodie Gassiolle and Jeanne Laforge and Laura Lescot and Ricardo López and Ignacio Ontañón Alonso and Jean-Pierre Petit and Christine Roynette and Anthony Santacreu and Valérie Simon and Alban Jacques},
journal = {OENO One},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.20870/oeno-one.2026.60.3.9626},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05767941v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Assessment of grape exposure and UV radiation effects on rotundone in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tardif under warm and dry vintage conditions
AU - Olivier Geffroy
AU - Thomas Baerenzung Dit Baron
AU - Christian Chervin
AU - Chloé Cuif
AU - Marie Denat
AU - Carole Feilhès
AU - Élodie Gassiolle
AU - Jeanne Laforge
AU - Laura Lescot
AU - Ricardo López
AU - Ignacio Ontañón Alonso
AU - Jean-Pierre Petit
AU - Christine Roynette
AU - Anthony Santacreu
AU - Valérie Simon
AU - Alban Jacques
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - OENO One
DO - 10.20870/oeno-one.2026.60.3.9626
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05767941v1
AB - Rotundone is the main aroma compound responsible for peppery notes in wines. Its biosynthesis is negatively affected by heat and drought, whereas the impact of light, particularly ultraviolet (UV) radiation, remains unestablished. This study aimed to investigate, under field conditions, the effects of grape exposure and UV treatments on rotundone in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tardif. During the warm 2022 season, four treatments were compared to a control using a randomised complete block design with three replicates per treatment: early defoliation at Eichhorn & Lorenz stage 32 (ED), late defoliation at stage 34 (LD), exclusion of UV-A and UV-B radiations on late-defoliated vines using radiation screens (LD-UV), and four UV-C modulated light applications during daytime between mid-veraison and harvest on late-defoliated vines (LD+UV). No differences were observed between the control and ED, likely due to leaf regrowth limiting the initial increase in cluster exposure. In contrast, the LD treatment resulted in a significant 33 % increase in rotundone. LD-UV did not affect bunch zone air temperature but caused a significant reduction in rotundone, highlighting the key role of UV in its biosynthesis. UV-C treatments applied during daytime had no effect, whereas preliminary results on a limited number of fruiting cuttings suggest a substantial increase when treatments were applied at night. Overall, these results indicate that winegrowers cultivating Tardif can use late defoliation to enhance rotundone biosynthesis even during warm vintages. The effects of UV-C treatments warrant further validation on a larger number of vines under field conditions.
SN - 2494-1271
ER -