Vinid’Occ – A multidisciplinary research program supporting grapevine variety innovation to shape the viticulture and oenology of tomorrow

Abstract

The ‘Défi Clé Vinid’Occ’ is a multidisciplinary research program—supported by the Occitanie Region and led by the University ofMontpellier—which aims at responding to the major challenges faced by the wine sector, in a context of climate change in Occitanie and the reduction of viticultural and oenological inputs.

The programme focuses on the development of fundamental research of international scope from the gene to the bottle to the consumer. It enables the acquisition of the knowledge needed to support varietal innovation and accelerate changes in viticultural practices throughout the entire chain of plant material-production-processing markets.

The research work focused on four main themes:

1. The study of grapevine genome diversity in order to determine genes of interest for stress response or wine quality, specifically through a pan-genomic approach, the study of the plasticity of grapevine and its behaviour in response to water stress. It aims to guide future breeding programs to identifynew interesting grape varieties at an early
2. The experiments on soil management, the mobilisation of biodiversity in plots, the use of beneficial insects, and trials of different training systemsunder stressful conditions, all of them coupled with varieties resistant to powdery mildew and downy mildew. The development of digital tools is also considered, facilitating vineyard management and winemaking, thanks to the acquisition of information, data processing and modelling.
3. The production of wine from resistant grape varieties has yet to be fully With a particular focus on microbiological and technological issues, the project is aimed at gaining a better understanding of the oenological potential of resistant varieties, but also to determine the oenological criteria that are important for assessing the final quality of wines and the impact on the microbiota of the berries.
4. Finally, one of the current challenges is the transfer and application of innovations in the industry. Indeed, the Vinid’Occ initiative consults with economic stakeholders in the region and supports industry players in changing their practices. It studies market and consumer expectations, includingto identify barriers to the implementation of new practices

Acknowledgements

Vinid’Occ flagship project was funded by the Occitanie region and led by the University of Montpellier in France.