Precipitation before Flowering Determined Effectiveness of Leaf Removal Timing and Irrigation on Wine Composition of Merlot Grapevine

Grapevine productivity, and berry and wine flavonoid concentration, depend on the interactions of cultivar, environment, and applied cultural practices. We characterized the effects that mechanical leaf removal and irrigation treatments had on the flavonoid concentration of ‘Merlot’ (Vitis vinifera, L.) grape berries and wines in a hot climate over two growing seasons with contrasting precipitation patterns. Leaves were removed by machine, either at prebloom (PBLR), or at post-fruit-set (PFLR), or not removed (control) and irrigation was either applied as sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) at 0.8 of crop evapotranspiration (ET(c)) from budbreak to fruit set, or regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) at 0.8 ET(c) from bud break to fruit set, 0.5 ET(c) from fruit set to veraison, and 0.8 ET(c) from veraison to harvest, of ET(c) In 2014, PFLR reduced the leaf area index (LAI) compared to control. The RDI decreased season-long leaf water potential (Ψ(Int)) compared to SDI. However, in 2015, none of the treatments affected LAI or Ψ(Int). In 2014, berry flavonoid concentrations were reduced by PBLR as well as SDI. SDI increased the flavonoid concentrations in wine, and PFLR increased some wine flavonols in one season. No factor affected the concentrations of wine proanthocyanidins or mean degree of polymerization. Thus, mechanical PFLR and RDI may increase berry flavonoid accumulation without yield reduction, in red wine grapes cultivars grown in hot climates when precipitation after bud break is lacking. However, spring precipitation may influence the effectiveness of these practices as evidenced by this work in a changing climate.