In-row spacing and shoot thinning for ‘Chardonnay’ grapevines in the south of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

The quality of sparkling wine reflects the climate and management of vineyard, since these factors affect grape development, berry composition, and base wine composition.'Chardonnay' vines were subjected to five in-row spacing distances (0.5; 0.75; 1.0; 1.50; and 2.0 m) combined with and without shoot thinning. For each in-row spacing, vines were thinned to 5, 8, 10, 15, and 20 shoots per plant. Vegetative growth, yield, berry composition and base wine composition were analyzed for two years. Vines with decreased in-row spacing, presented fewer clusters and malic acid content in berries, mostly related to the shading effect. Shoot thinning increased bud fruitfulness and decreased leaf area per meter, leaf area per plant, and leaf layer number. In-row spacing from 1.5 m to 0.5 m showed promising results for the Southeast Brazil with higher yield per hectare and sufficient acidity to provide freshness in sparkling wines.

Volatile Composition of Sparkling Wines of cv. Chardonnay Cultivated under Different Training Systems in Serra da Mantiqueira (Brazil)

“…Serra da Mantiqueira is a new winemaking frontier for producing sparkling wines [ 16 , 17 ]; therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the aromatic profile of Chardonnay sparkling wines (made according to the champenoise method) under two training systems, lyre and GDC.…”