Investigating the impact of pedoclimatic conditions on the oenological performance of two red cultivars grown throughout southern Italy

The cultivated grapevine, Vitis vinifera subsp. vinifera, possesses a rich biodiversitywith numerous varieties. Each variety adapts differently to varying pedoclimaticconditions, which greatly influence the terroir expression of wine regions. Theseconditions impact vine growth, physiology, and berry composition, ultimatelyshaping the unique characteristics and typicity of the wines produced. Nowadays,the potential of the different adaptation capacities of grape varieties has not yet beenthoroughly investigated. We addressed this issue by studying two grape varieties,Aglianico and Cabernet Sauvignon, in two different pedoclimatic conditions ofSouthern Italy. We evaluated and compared the effect of different pedoclimaticconditions on plant physiology, the microbial quality of grapes using NextGeneration Sequencing (NGS) technology, the expression trends of key genes inripe berries and the concentration of phenolic compounds in grapes and wines byHPLC-MS, HPLC-DAD, NMR and spectrophotometric analyses. Metabolomic andmicrobiome data were integrated with quantitative gene expression analyses toexamine varietal differences and plasticity of genes involved in importantoenological pathways. The data collected showed that the phenotypic responseof studied grapes in terms of vigor, production, and fruit quality is stronglyinfluenced by the pedoclimatic conditions and, in particular, by soil physicalproperties. Furthermore, Aglianico grape variety was more influenced than theCabernet Sauvignon by environmental conditions. In conclusion, the obtainedfindings not only reinforce the terroir concept and our comprehension of grape'sability to adapt to climate variations but can also have implications for the futureusage of grape genetic resources.