In 2022, which was characterised by extremely hot and dry weather, we studied the impact of three canopy management techniques – early shoot trimming (ZV), removal of young leaves during grape ripening (R), and double maturation reasonable (DMR) – on the yield and quality of grapes and wine of the 'Istrska malvazija' variety. The trial was conducted in a vineyard located in the Kras wine-growing district, with the vines arranged in four replicates and blocks. The grapes from the DMR treatment showed the highest total soluble solids content of (89.4±1.1 °Oe), which is due to gradual dehydration od the berries, while the ZV treatment gave the highest total acidity (5.93±0.28 g/l) and the lowest pH (3.26±0.11), indicating delayed ripening. In contrast, the R treatment resulted in the lowest total acidity (4.57±0.26 g/l) and the highest pH (3.38±0.08). The highest grape yield per vine was recorded under ZV (1.93±0.25 kg), and the lowest under DMR (1.39±0.35 kg), where berry dehydration also reduced the mass of 100 berries (158±2.2 g). In the resulting wines, the highest alcohol content (12.4±0.01 vol%) was measured in R, while the lowest (11.8±0.1 vol%) was recorded in ZV. The highest total acidity in the wine was found in the ZV and DMR treatments, indicating better freshness retention. This experiment confirms that targeted viticultural practices can significantly influence the ripening, composition, and quality of grapes and wine. However, their effectiveness should be further investigated in multi-year studies and assessed for economic feasibility.
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