2015 In Vino Analytical Scientia Symposium

Abstract

This travel grant enabled Dr Kerry Wilkinson to attend the In Vino Analytica Scientia Symposium (between the 14th and 17th July, 2015) and to visit collaborators from the University de Castilla Le Mancha, in Albacete Spain (on the 20th and 21st July, 2015). The symposium was held in Mezzacorona in Italy and focussed on: Chemical analysis and composition of grapes, wines and spirits; Chemical and biochemical reactions; Metabolomics, chemometrics and authenticity of products; and sensory analysis. Attendance at the symposium provided an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge of recent advances in grape and wine research, as well as to disseminate recent research findings, via a poster titled ‘Understanding consumer preferences for Australian sparkling wines vs. French Champagne’. The conference also provided numerous networking opportunities, during which new and existing collaborations were pursued. Importantly, the trip also afforded an opportunity to visit and meet with the research group of Professor Rosario Salinas (University de Castilla de Mancha, Albacete, Spain), for the purpose of discussing ongoing collaborative research into the influence of foliar applications of oak extract and oak volatiles to grapevines on fruit, leaf and shoot composition; work also presented in poster form at In Vino Analytica Scientia.

Summary

The 9th In Vino Analytical Scientia conference was held in Trento, Italy, and was attended by approximately 250 participants, including several world-renowned wine researchers from laboratories around the world. The symposium focussed on recent advances in analytical chemistry, and wine science, and served as a discussion forum of the latest techniques in grape and wine analysis, by chemical and sensory methods. The conference was attended by approximately 250 delegates from 27 different countries, and comprised approximately 40 oral and 200 poster presentation. It provided a unique opportunity for recent research findings from an ongoing AGWA funded project concerning consumer preferences for Australian sparkling wines vs. French Champagnes to be presented, as well as to gain knowledge of new analytical techniques and to network with other wine researchers