Calcium and magnesium contents of Hungarian wines due to Botrytis cinerea, drought, and hardness of groundwater

Sipka, S. and Nagy, A. and Baráth, S. and Sipka, S.J. (2026) Calcium and magnesium contents of Hungarian wines due to Botrytis cinerea, drought, and hardness of groundwater. ACTA ALIMENTARIA: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, 55 (2). pp. 355-365. ISSN 0139-3006

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Abstract

Drought and parasitic infections induce oxidative stress reactions in grape berries through the production of reactive oxygen species, which may involve alterations in calcium (Ca 2+ ) and magnesium (Mg 2+ ) levels. In the present study, 43 Hungarian wines were analysed for their Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ concentrations using atomic absorption spectrometry. Three groups of wines were investigated: (a) nine wines from the Tokaj region affected by Botrytis cinerea , (b) seventeen white wines free of Botrytis , and (c) seventeen red wines. The stress-inducing effects of drought and Botrytis infection were associated with statistically significant elevations in Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ concentrations. Wine samples were collected from different regions of Hungary representing varying hardness of groundwater and different climatic conditions. Differences in ion concentrations reflected the strength and type of stress factors affecting grape development. The highest parallel calcium and magnesium concentrations were observed in Botrytis -affected Tokaj wines, suggesting additive effects of multiple stress factors, including increased drought severity in regions associated with soft groundwater and enhanced defence responses against Botrytis infection. The results also indicate a previously underexplored role of groundwater hardness in environments influencing drought stress tolerance in grapevines.

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