Elicitors used as a tool to increase stilbenes in grapes and wines

Abstract

Two preharvest treatments (methyl jasmonate or cell wall yeast) of grapevines (Monastrell and Tempranillo) were applied during two vintages (2014 and 2015) to check whether these elicitors enhanced stilbene accumulation in berries at the moment of harvest and in the corresponding wines elaborated with them. The main objective was checking the effect of treatment, variety and year on stilbene composition due to the interesting health-related properties of these compounds in both grapes and wines. The results pointed to inter-varietal and inter-annual differences, and that the treatments generally enhanced the stilbene composition of grapes and, particularly, of wines. The increase was more evident in Monastrell variety than in Tempranillo variety and in their wines more than their grapes during 2014 vintage but not during 2015 vintage.

Keywords: Cell wall yeast; Grapes; Methyl jasmonate; Monastrell; Stilbenes; Tempranillo; Wines.