Plastic cover use and its influences on physical-chemical characteristics in must and wine

The aim of this study was to evaluate plastic overhead covering (POC) influence on must and wine of Moscato Giallo cultivar. In two harvests the 2006 and 2007 vintages an experiment was carry out in a completely randomized design. It was performed in a vineyard covered with an impermeable plastic cloth and without covering as control. From each vineyard, three microvinification (20 L) were elaborated. Physico-chemical analysis of musts (degrees Brix, reduce sugar content, density, total acidity, tartaric acid, malic acid e pH) and wines (density, alcohol degree, acidity, volatile acidity, pH, dry extract, reduce sugar content, ashes, 420 index, volatile compounds and minerals) were analyzed. According to results POC (raffia type with 160 mu m) grapes showed more yield must. However due to delay maturation showed lower sugar concentration. Wine produced with POC grapes had lower alcohol graduation. Another hand, the better sanity of grapes resulted in lower tenors of ethyl acetate and volatile acidity. POC system demands delay in harvest to achieve the same sugar concentration and alcohol graduation compared to grapes from open sky.