Furthermore, the relative importance of the inputs
brought interesting insights regarding the impact of the analytical
tests. Since some variables can be controlled in the production process
this information can be used to improve the wine quality. For instance,
alcohol concentration can be increased or decreased by monitoring
the grape sugar concentration prior to the harvest. Also, the residual
sugar in wine could be raised by suspending the sugar fermentation
carried out by yeasts. Moreover, the volatile acidity produced during
the malolactic fermentation in red wine depends on the lactic bacteria
control activity. Another interesting application is target marketing
[24]. Specific consumer preferences from niche and/or profitable
markets (e.g. for a particular country) could be measured during
promotion campaigns (e.g. free wine tastings at supermarkets) and
modeled using similar DM techniques, aiming at the design of brands
that match these market needs