Manejo da área foliar na qualidade da uva e características sensoriais do vinho cv.Chardonnay (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivada na Serra Gaúcha

Abstract

The State of Rio Grande do Sul is the largest national producer of grapes, wines and derivatives. In the region called Serra Gaúcha, the city of Bento Gonçalves stands out as one of the largest producers. The Chardonnay cultivar is the main among the white ones in the elaboration of varietal wine and sparkling wine base. The management of the vegetative canopy of the vineyards assumes great importance when it is aimed to favor the quality of the grape and the wine. The research can contribute to the improvement of production techniques aimed to this improvement. The objective of this study was to evaluate the productive characteristics, the physical-chemical quality of the grape and the sensorial characteristics of the Chardonnay cultivar wines, under the effect of different levels of leaf area, in a vineyard located in the city of Bento Gonçalves, during the 2014- 2015 and 2015-2016 cycles. Plants of an experimental vineyard were evaluated, implemented in 2002, led on in espalier system at an altitude of 533 meters. The treatments were: T1 – leaf area of 0.8m² Kg-¹ of grape; T2 – leaf área of 1.0m² Kg-¹ of grape; T3 – leaf area of 1.20 m² Kg-¹ of grape; T4 – leaf area of 1.40m² Kg-¹ of grape. The harvest took place in the second half of January. The variables sarmentum mass and plant production-¹ were evaluated to estimate the balance between leaf area and fruit mass. Samples of 18 kg of grapes were collected for microvinification in the 2014-2015 cycle and subsequent sensorial analysis of the wines, being performed by experienced judges. The results indicated that the plants with leaf area of 0.8 m2Kg-1 of grape showed a better balance between leaf area and grape production. The different leaf areas studied did not interfere in the Soluble Solids content in the 2014-2015 cycle and did not interfere in the titratable acidity of the must in both cycles studied. For the acidity and body/structure aspects, the sensorial attributes were the ones which best highlighted the differences between the treatments. The different leaf area management did not interfere in the overall evaluation of the wines.