Enological Potential of Autochthonous Red Spanish Grape Varieties as a Strategy to Address Climate Change

In the context of global climate change, exploring locally adapted grape varieties has become imperative for the future of the wine industry. Autochthonous red grape varieties from Castilla y León region (Spain) are being studied as a sustainable option due to their local adaptation. This study aimed to evaluate different agronomic variables of nine minority varieties over four years at each vineyard, and their enological potential in two later vintages. Enological parameters and phenolic composition were analyzed in grapes and in the resulting wines to assess quality and typicity. Most of the grape varieties were able the produced good quality wines with distinct enological profiles. Bruñal, Cenicienta and Tinto Jeromo had characteristics associated with more structured wines (>1500 mg/L of total polyphenols and total tannins), making them suitable for oak aging. Estaladiña showed similar features, together with a very high productivity. Mouraz and Negro Saurí showed characteristics suitable for rosé wine production. Gajo Arroba and Mandón exhibited high total acidity (>4 g/L of tartaric acid), indicating their potential use in coupage to improve wine acidity. Overall, these varieties represent a valuable resource to increase wine diversity and resilience under changing climates.