Mining microbiome data to identify antagonists of grapevine downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola)

Climate change, with rise in temperatures, is leading to an advance in the dates of phenological stages, with a loss in quality of the grape final product. Therefore, the understanding of the genetic determinants driving the phenological stages of flowering, veraison and the interval between them, represents a target for the development of grapevine’s cultivar adapted to the changing environment.
Here we conducted a GWA study to identify SNPs significantly associated to flowering time, veraison time and to the interval among them. A germplasm collection (CREA-VE in Susegana, Treviso, Italy) including 649 grapevine’s cultivar representing 365 unique genotypes was considered.

Conflicting messages about the consumption of alcoholic beverages – including wine – continue to dominate the media, causing increasing uncertainty among consumers and health professionals.

Malic acid has a strong impact on wine pH and the contribution of fermenting yeasts to modulate its concentration has been intensively investigated in the past. Recent advances in yeast genetics have shed light on the unexpected property of some strains to produce large amounts of malic acid (“acidic strains”) while most of the wine starters consume it during the alcoholic fermentation. Being a key metabolite of the central carbohydrate metabolism, malic acid participates to TCA and glyoxylate cycles as well as neoglucogenesis. Although present at important concentrations in grape juice, the metabolic fate of malic acid has been poorly investigated.

World wine production is estimated at 262 million hectolitres in 2022. Long spared from the constraints of the agri-food industry due to the absence of pathogens, the oenological sector is now facing the yeast

The aim of this work was to study winemaking alternatives that will optimize the quality of the Tannat wines, taking advantage of the grape’s oenological potential.