Résumé
The development of disease-resistant grape varieties adapted to climate change is crucial for the future of the viticulture and winemaking industry. Currently, the selection of these varieties mainly relies on genetic resistance markers and agronomic criteria. However, incorporating oenological criteria at the early stages of selection could accelerate the process and make the selection more efficient. This requires vinifying small quantities of grapes (1 kg) at high throughput, in a repeatable and robust manner. The automated Vinimag system, along with the developed microvinification process, meets this need. It enables the simultaneous online monitoring of 60 fermentations through weight measurements and color assessment using reflectance. Temperature is controlled individually for each fermentor with a precision of +/-0.3°C. This system allows for the calculation of fermentation and color extraction rates and can perform up to 1,000 deferred fermentations annually through grape freezing. Comparative trials with traditional vinification methods have validated the effectiveness of this process. This approach offers various applications, from varietal selection to yeast studies, allowing for the assessment of the oenological profile of new grape varieties.