DAVIS, Calif., February 24, 2021…The American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) has selected the 2021 Best Paper Award winners. The authors are presented with a plaque and monetary award and will be presenting their papers during the 2021 Virtual ASEV National Conference, June 21-24. Both papers are highlighted on www.ajevonline.org and are available free of charge.

The 2021 Best Viticulture Paper, “Soil Temperature Prior to Veraison Alters Grapevine Carbon Partitioning, Xylem Sap Hormones, and Fruit Set” by Stewart K. Field of Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology in New Zealand, Jason P. Smith and Bruno P. Holzapfel of Charles Sturt University in Australia, and Erin N. Morrison and R.J. Neil Emery of Trent University in Canada, looked into gaining a better understanding of environmental effects on grapevines and the physiological regulation of acclimation. The authors assessed the effects of soil temperature (14˚C or 24˚C) between bloom and veraison on growth, nonstructural carbohydrates, cytokinins, abscisic acid, and leaf function of potted Shiraz grapevines. They concluded that soil temperature significantly affects grapevine growth and that the responses are mediated largely by an influence of temperature on mobilization of reserve carbohydrates from the roots.

For the 2021 Best Enology Paper, ASEV selected “Determination of Molecular and ‘Truly’ Free Sulfur Dioxide in Wine: A Comparison of Headspace and Conventional Methods,” by Todd W. Jenkins, Patricia A. Howe, and Andrew Waterhouse of the University of California, Davis, and Gavin L. Sacks of Cornell University. The authors developed a new analytical method for “truly” free SO2 and compared it to conventional methods of measuring SO2. They concluded that their new GC-based method that measures the SO2 concentration in the headspace of wine samples is less prone to overestimating the free SO2 in red wines than are conventional methods and provides stable results at low operating costs.

Each year, the ASEV Best Paper Awards Committee evaluates all manuscripts published in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture (AJEV) during the previous year and selects one paper in viticulture and one in enology that reflect outstanding research and a substantial contribution to the field. The current Best Paper Award Committee includes Keith Striegler (Chair) of E. & J. Gallo Winery, California; Cassandra Bent of Domaine Chandon, California; Bob Coleman of Treasury Wine Estates, California; Lindsay Jordan of Constellation Brands, California; Kevin Ker of Brock University, Canada; Scott Kozel of E. & J. Gallo Winery, California; Misha Kwasniewski of The Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Russell Moss of Cornell University, New York; Merilark Padgett-Johnson of Santa Rosa Junior College, California; Joe Shirley of Sutter Home, California; and Dave Sorokowsky, Winemaking Consultant, California.

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