title: Melatonin treatment of pre-veraison grape berries to increase size and synchronicity of berries and modify wine aroma components.
abstract: A comprehensive investigation was carried out to determine the effect of exogenous melatonin treatment of pre-veraison grapes on grape berries and its wines. Two melatonin treatments of pre-veraison grape berries increased the weight of the berries by approximately 6.6%. Meanwhile, this melatonin treatment could be beneficial in the reduction of underripe and overripe fruits and in enhancing the synchronicity of the berries. In addition, there were significant differences in the volatile compound composition between the wine produced from the melatonin-treated berries and the wines made from untreated berries. The wine from melatonin-treated pre-veraison grape berries had stronger fruity, spicy, and sweet sensory properties, compared to the wines made from untreated berries. Prolonging the treatment through repeated applications can enhance these effects and under different seasonal conditions, more pronounced effects on the grape quality and wine properties can be observed.
authors.affiliation: College of Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: Jiang-Fei
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg 79104, Germany.
authors.forename: Teng-Fei
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: College of Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Zheng
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: College of Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: College of Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: College of Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Engineering Research Center for Viti-Viniculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Engineering Research Center for Viti-Viniculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. Electronic address: zhangzhw60@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhen-Wen
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Enology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Engineering Research Center for Viti-Viniculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. Electronic address: xizhumei@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhu-Mei
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Xi
mesh_terms: D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008550:Melatonin / Q000032:analysis*; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D013649:Taste; D027843:Vitis / Q000737:chemistry*; D014920:Wine / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin
keywords: Aroma components; Berry size; Grape; Melatonin; Synchronicity; Wine