Organic acids profiles of the most important Dalmatian native grapevine (V. vinifera L.) cultivars

• Organic acids profiles in Dalmatian native Vitis germplasm were investigated.
• Clear distinction of seven cultivars was achieved using discriminant analysis.
• High variability of organic acids in native germplasm is presented.
• Croatian cultivar Grk could be of interest for warm climate viticulture.

Native grapevine cultivars are important for viticulture production in Croatia, especially in the Dalmatian wine-growing region. Their evaluation for wine production has been intensively studied in recent decades. Tartaric, malic and citric acids are the most important organic acids in Vitis vinifera L. cultivars and these play an important role in the wine-making process, affecting some of the most important characteristics of wine. For this reason, the organic acid composition of the seven most important Dalmatian native grapevine cultivars was determined using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Trial cultivars were planted, ensuring uniformity of the environmental conditions that can largely influence the concentration of organic acids. Significant differences in the content of tartaric, malic and citric acid were determined between cultivars over the three years of the study. Tartaric acid ranged from 4.5 to 7.18 g/L, malic acid from 0.31 to 3.40 g/L, and citric acid from 110 to 368 mg/L depending on the year of study, but with clear differences between the cultivars studied. The effects of crop levels and climatic conditions over the three years of study are also discussed.