Cultural Practice and Environmental Impacts on the Flavonoid Composition of Grapes and Wine: A Review of Recent Research

Flavonoids are a large and diverse group of compounds that, by their presence or absence, contribute greatly to wine quality. While the flavonoid content and composition of a wine reflects the vinification process to some extent, the primary determinant is the composition of the grapes at harvest. Thus, considerable research has been directed toward understanding the nature of flavonoids in grapevines, the factors that influence their biosynthesis, and how this knowledge might be used to manage and manipulate the flavonoid composition of berries at harvest. This review examines the flavonoids as a class of compounds, the role these compounds play in the plant, their contributions to wine quality, and recent…

• LT
  La Trobe University
• VU
  Victoria University