EFFECT OF CLUSTER SHADING ON MUST AND BERRY COMPOSITION IN ‘BARBERA’ GRAPES

The research was carried out in San Colombano al Lambro (MI), in 1993–94, in a GDC vineyard trained, the effects of artificial shading was studied on clusters of cv Barbera covered with a different number of light “net” cloth (Tulle).

Test vines, whose clusters where exposed to solar radiation by leaves removal after flowering were compared to vines with two, four and six layers of shading veils.

Soluble sugars and acid constituents, anthocyanins and phenols contents where measured on musts and berry skins, respectively. Shading modified all constituents of Barbera must and skins.

It appears that different clusters shadings could change the qualitative indicators of grape and musts of cv. Barbera. Significative results were obtained for berry weight and sugars content, which decreased as consequence of increased shading, although fluctuations were due to the interaction with the year. Anthocyanins and phenols skin content were strongly influenced by seasonal weather course.

Different exposure of the two curtains of GDC (East and West) determined significative differences in pH, sugar, phenol and anthocyanin content, higher for West side, and in titratable acidity and berry weight, usually lower for West side.

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