Soil and grape microbes and their relationship to wine

Microbes in soil are key players soil health and function. In wine fields these microbes contribute to plant growth and uptake of nutrients important for grape ripening and carbohydrate composition. Microbes in both soil and grapes can therefore contribute to the regional and microregional characteristics of wines, even the illusive terroir.

This project will use state of the art amplicon and shot-gun sequencing technology to investigate relationship between soil microbiota and quality of wine, monitoring soil microbial trail from soil to, plant, grape and fermentation tanks. Microbial co-variation with soil geochemical parameters, wine volatile organic compounds and other chemical compositions will be investigated in collaboration with other MICROWINE partners. The information gained in this ESR project will be of value to the agricultural part of the winemaking industry, with possible agricultural inoculation perspectives.

Further information

• Department of Environmental Science (ENVS), Århus University