Resveratrol from Vine to Wine

The stilbene compound resveratrol and its derivatives are produced by various plant families and possess a wide spectrum of interesting medical properties. In Vitaceae, these compounds are phytoalexins ie antifungal metabolites synthesized and accumulated in response to biotic or abiotic stresses. Therefore, even if their level in wines is influenced by winemaking process and fermentative micro-organisms, it largely depends on their initial level in berries. Resveratrol is synthesized via the phenylalanine / polymalonate pathway and can undergo glycosylation, methylation or polymerization, leading to a set of derivatives. Due to their distinct chemical structures, these molecules possess different activity and efficiency regarding their biological properties. Vitis species and Vitis vinifera varieties do not have the same genetic ability to produce these compounds and there is a positive correlation between their ability to accumulate them and their level of resistance to pathogens. In this chapter, we propose to list different biotic and abiotic factors able to induce stilbene accumulation in grapevine organs. © 2013 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.