Enological technique, controlled use of enological products, and microorganism monitoring: main strategies to improve wine quality and food safety

The Enology and Wine Microbiology research group focuses on:

• Development of innovative winemaking protocols for the diversification of oenological products, content reduction of preservative compounds, and enhancement of the oenological potential of autochthonous, national and international grapevine varieties;
• Study of grape dehydration-withering processes and of the special wines produced from them (passito, Sforzato, etc.);
• Study of the effect on wine quality of enological processing aids including enzymes, tannins, fining agents; 
• Evaluation of the chemical composition and of the mechanical-acoustic properties of the grapes, and their relationship with the extractability of sensory-interesting compounds during winemaking;
• Study of the microbial ecology of grapes and of the fermentation process using culture-dependent and -independent techniques;
• Study of the phenotypic characteristics of wine yeasts and the interactions of wine related microorganisms;
• Selection of Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts to be used as starter cultures in winemaking;
• Study of the interactions between non-Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts and between yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, the main agents of alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, respectively;
• Study of the nature of yeast-yeast and yeast-lactic bacteria interactions during the fermentation process and their impact on wine chemical composition;
• Selection and use of microorganisms of oenological interest as bioprotection agents during wine fermentation.

• PRIN PNRR2022: ‘ WISSaTech’ - White wine production by sustainable and safe technologies: Impact on chemical composition, sensory characteristics and ageing potential of Italian wines with different compositional features (2023)
• PRIN 2022: ‘STRAWINE - Red straw wines of Italy: research on the chemical, sensory, and process characteristics of Italian red wines produced from grapes subjected to withering-dehydration procedures’ (2023)
• Regione Piemonte PSR 2014–2020 operazione 16.1.1. ‘QUALSHELL – Qualità e shelf-Life del vino. Implementazione di procedimenti per la valutazione qualitativa dell’uva e il monitoraggio di processo’ (2020)
• Regione Lombardia PSR 2014–2020 operazione 1.2.01. ‘W2.0 – INCREASE SFURSAT – Linee operative per la valorizzazione dello Sfursat di Valtellina DOCG attraverso sistemi di informazione e dimostrazione’ (2020)
• Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo (CRC) - Bando Sessione erogativa generale 2020. ‘Consumo di vini convenzionali e "naturali": effetti sugli esiti dei test alcolici’ (2020)
• Fondazione CRT - Bando Erogazioni Ordinarie 2020. ‘Dal VIgneto al VIno: BIO-protezione tramite l’utilizzo di MIcrorganismi selezionati (VIVIBIOMI)’ (2020)
• Progetti di trasferimento tecnologico e sviluppo aziendale con aziende private del settore enologico.

• Englezos V., Di Gianvito P., Peyer L., Giacosa S., Río Segade S., Edwards N., Rolle L., Rantsiou K., Cocolin L. (2022). Bioprotective effect of Pichia kluyveri and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in wine-making conditions. Am. J. Enol. Vitic., 73, 4, 293-306.
• Englezos V., Mota-Gutierrez J., Giacosa S., Río Segade S., Pollon M., Gambino G., Rolle L., Ferrocino I., Rantsiou K. (2022). Effect of alternative fungicides and inoculation strategy on yeast biodiversity and dynamics from the vineyard to the winery. Food Res. Int., 111935.
• Giacosa S., Ferrero L., Paissoni M.A., Río Segade S., Gerbi V., Rolle L. (2023). Grape skin anthocyanin extraction from red varieties during simulated maceration: influence of grape seeds and pigments adsorption on their surface.. Food Chem., 424, 136463.
• Paissoni M.A., Bitelli G., Vilanova M., Montanini C., Río Segade S., Rolle L., Giacosa S. (2022). Relative impact of oenological tannins in model solutions and red wine according to phenolic, antioxidant, and sensory traits. Food Res. Int., 157, 111203.
• Río Segade S., Bautista-Ortin A.-B., Paissoni M.A., Giacosa S., Gerbi V., Rolle L., Gómez-Plaza E. (2020). Changes in skin flavanol composition as response to ozone-induced stress during postharvest dehydration of red winegrapes with different phenolic profile. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 68, 13439–13449

National collaborations in the field with public and private Universities and research centers.

International collaborations:

Basque Culinary Center (Spagna)
Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (Brazil)
Departamento de Biotecnología de los Alimentos, Grupo de Biología de Sistemas en Levaduras de Interés Biotecnológico, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de los Alimentos (IATA)-CSIC, Valencia (Spain)
Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Escuela de Ingeniería Industrial—Centro de Investigación Tecnológica Industrial (MTI), Universidad de Vigo (Spain)
Departamento de Química Analítica y Alimentaria, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Vigo (Spain)
Departamento de Tecnología de los Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología, Universidad de Murcia (Spain)
Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California-Davis (USA)
Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of West Athens (Greece)
Department of Viticulture and Oenology, Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
Estación de Viticultura e Enoloxía de Galicia (EVEGA), Instituto Galego de Calidade Alimentaria, Xunta de Galicia (Spain)
Grupo de Investigación en Polifenoles (GIP), Unidad de Nutrición y Bromatología, Universidad de Salamanca (Spain)
Hochschule Geisenheim University, Geisenheim (Germania)
Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV), Unité de Recherche Oenologie, Université de Bordeaux (France)
Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino (ICVV, Spain)
Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, de Bromatologie et de Nutrition Humaine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)
Misión Biológica de Galicia, Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - CSIC (Spain)
UMT Vinitera, UPSP GRAPPE, LUNAM Université Angers (France)
Unité Sciences pour l’Œnologie (SPO), INRA SupAgro, Montpellier (France)
University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca (Romania)
Post-Harvest and Agro-Processing Technologies Division, Agricultural Research Council Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, Stellenbosch, South Africa