Changing climate conditions raise questions about the evolution of perennial grapevine varieties, which are grown in various places around the world, where complex interplay between environmental factors, genetics and viticultural practices can contribute to unexpected adaptability. Based on experimental measurements of water status (δ 13 C) and untargeted metabolomics of up to 256 grape juices from 13 wine regions in Europe and Argentina, over 3 successive vintages, we assessed the adaptability to climate change of ‘Pinot noir’ and ‘Chardonnay’ grapevines. Both varieties appeared to be able to withstand a wide range of water deficits, some of which may be associated with climatic conditions similar to a + 2 °C warming scenario in Burgundy. Multivariate models revealed hundreds of water-status-related mesocarp metabolites, with ‘Chardonnay’ showing a consistent dynamic response across the water status range, whereas many ‘Pinot noir’ markers faded under severe water deficit, suggesting this grape variety is less resilient to changing climatic conditions.
Nicolas et al. (Wed,) studied this question.