AREA III. Maturation and enology
Project 9:

Sauvignon Blanc Aroma

Grapes comprise an important pillar in the production of good wines.  Good wines cannot be made with low quality grapes.  Therefore, the existence of objective tools which allow the prediction of wine grapes, leading to informed harvest decisions is essential, when it comes to betting on the quality of the resulting wine. 

In the case of white grapes, such as those used for Sauvignon Blanc, quality depends mainly on the aroma.  This attribute is difficult to quantify. However, there are now advanced technologies that allow making such a classification. 

In this project, such technologies are to be employed to determine the impact that variables such as "terroir", irrigation, light, and load have on the aromatic quality of white wine grapes.  The study shall focus specifically on the Curicó valley, and on Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Vert grapes.  This geographic location was chosen since it is the area with the largest planted surface of these varieties at a national level.

Therefore, this project shall provide tools to producers that enable them to develop the sauvignon wine aroma, and increase the range of wine styles, while maintaining consistency and quality.

Project Length: 3 years