About the Centre
The Wine Research Centre (WRC) is located in Lanthieri Mansion in Vipava, in the middle of wine growing region and is strongly connected with local producers. The group members are skilled in research as well as practical knowledge. The Centre has active cooperation with similar institutions in Slovenia and abroad.
The research work of the Centre is focused on applicative and expert activities in the following fields:
Analyses of the quality parameters of various plant samples – Determination of bioactive compounds and their antioxidant properties (in vitro and in vivo) in various sources of plant origin, focusing on Mediterranean varieties that are important for the local area (grapes, cherries, plums, apples and olives); Secondary metabolism, the interaction between the plant and the environment; Analyses of metals in various plant tissues.
Optimization of viticulture techniques in accordance with grape and wine quality – Precision Viticulture (optimising vineyard performance, in particular maximising grape yield and quality while minimising environmental impacts); Research of terroir’s impacts upon vegetative vine development and the final composition of the grape, must and wine; Water status effects and influences of microclimatic condition on biosynthesis of grape polyphenols; Potentials for spraying reduction.
Optimisation of winemaking technologies in correlation with wine composition and wine sensory characteristics – Research of various wine making techniques impact upon wine composition – focusing on quality and ageing capacity of the wine; Interactions between volatile and non-volatile wine compounds: influences on wine perception; Kinetics and biochemistry of alcohol fermentation; Co-pigmentation reactions during vinification processes.
Determination of cultivar and wine style profiles – Quantitative and qualitative profile of the composition of grapes and wines; Chemometrics data processing (chemical and organoleptic).
Metabolomics of grapes and yeasts – Molecular background of grape and wine quality, Metabolomic profiling of grapes and microbial fermentation products; Exploration of grape/wine-related microbial diversity for enological purposes.
Microbiology of vines, grapes, fruits and wines – Research of viral and bacterial diseases of fruit plants; Microbial ecology – microbial pathogens of grapes, fruit and wine / Prevention possibilities; Optimization of the lactic-acid fermentation and target selections of wine yeasts.
Molecular biology of yeasts – Development of RNAi tool to study aroma-associated genes in wine yeasts; Study of yeast genes behind aroma compounds in wine; geno- and phenotyping of slovenian yeast strains (building of own collection).
