Experimental approach to study the effect of grapevine age on berry secondary metabolites of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of grapevine age on the secondary metabolites of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling berries, focusing on free and bound monoterpenes, C13-norisoprenoids, and skin flavonols. While old vineyards are often culturally revered for producing superior wines, direct scientific evidence comparing vineyards of different ages while controlling for extrinsic factors has been limited. The study was conducted in an experimental vineyard in the Rheingau region, Germany, over three consecutive vintages (2015–2017). The vineyard was initially planted in 1971 with Riesling grapevines (clone Gm 239-17 grafted on 5C Teleki rootstock) trained in double Guyot. In 1995 and 2012, adjacent rows were uprooted and replanted with the same planting material, resulting in a vineyard of four blocks with grapevines planted in 1971 (old vines), 1995 (mature vines), and 2012 (young vines). The study found that young grapevines consistently accumulated higher levels of key aroma compounds, specifically bound nerol oxide, vitispirane, and 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (TDN), compared to the older groups. These differences were most pronounced during the first harvest year of the young vines (2015), likely driven by their lower productivity, smaller root systems, and initial differences in soil management. Conversely, mature and old grapevines showed remarkably similar berry composition across most studied compounds throughout the trial. Skin flavonols were largely unaffected by grapevine age, showing more significant fluctuations based on the growing season. The findings indicate that grapevine age effects are most evident in the transition from young to mature vines and tend to stabilise afterwards. This challenges the traditional belief that increasing vine age beyond maturity inherently enhances the oenological potential of berries under these specific conditions.
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BibTeX
@article{nader2026experimental,
title = {{Experimental approach to study the effect of grapevine age on berry secondary metabolites of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling}},
author = {Khalil Bou Nader and Eric Gomès and Doris Rauhut and Ghislaine Hilbert-Masson and Claus-Dieter Patz and Christel Renaud and Rainer Jung and Jean-Philippe Roby and Otmar Loehnertz and Manfred Stoll and Jean Philippe Roby},
journal = {OENO One},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.20870/oeno-one.2026.60.4.10222},
url = {https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05828671v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Experimental approach to study the effect of grapevine age on berry secondary metabolites of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling
AU - Khalil Bou Nader
AU - Eric Gomès
AU - Doris Rauhut
AU - Ghislaine Hilbert-Masson
AU - Claus-Dieter Patz
AU - Christel Renaud
AU - Rainer Jung
AU - Jean-Philippe Roby
AU - Otmar Loehnertz
AU - Manfred Stoll
AU - Jean Philippe Roby
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
JO - OENO One
DO - 10.20870/oeno-one.2026.60.4.10222
UR - https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05828671v1
AB - This study investigates the impact of grapevine age on the secondary metabolites of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling berries, focusing on free and bound monoterpenes, C13-norisoprenoids, and skin flavonols. While old vineyards are often culturally revered for producing superior wines, direct scientific evidence comparing vineyards of different ages while controlling for extrinsic factors has been limited. The study was conducted in an experimental vineyard in the Rheingau region, Germany, over three consecutive vintages (2015–2017). The vineyard was initially planted in 1971 with Riesling grapevines (clone Gm 239-17 grafted on 5C Teleki rootstock) trained in double Guyot. In 1995 and 2012, adjacent rows were uprooted and replanted with the same planting material, resulting in a vineyard of four blocks with grapevines planted in 1971 (old vines), 1995 (mature vines), and 2012 (young vines). The study found that young grapevines consistently accumulated higher levels of key aroma compounds, specifically bound nerol oxide, vitispirane, and 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (TDN), compared to the older groups. These differences were most pronounced during the first harvest year of the young vines (2015), likely driven by their lower productivity, smaller root systems, and initial differences in soil management. Conversely, mature and old grapevines showed remarkably similar berry composition across most studied compounds throughout the trial. Skin flavonols were largely unaffected by grapevine age, showing more significant fluctuations based on the growing season. The findings indicate that grapevine age effects are most evident in the transition from young to mature vines and tend to stabilise afterwards. This challenges the traditional belief that increasing vine age beyond maturity inherently enhances the oenological potential of berries under these specific conditions.
SN - 2494-1271
ER -