Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/122527
MAY NEWS Wine Terroir by Microbe Davis researcher links wine DNA to grape origins D avis, Calif.—Could the best indicator of a wine's terroir be its microbial load? Dr. David Mills is raising the possibility. The professor with the Department of Viticulture & Enology at the University of California, Davis, presented an early peek at research regarding the possible differences in the microbiota of wines from four of California's wine regions during UC Davis' annual Recent Advances in Viticulture and Enology (RAVE) conference March 14. Mills said rapid advances in the technology used with PCR (or polymerase chain reaction) analysis make it possible to quickly identify hundreds of specific DNA from a sample. "The technology is completely changing," he said. "It really gives you a picture of the whole diversity.…It's a huge amount of information you can generate." (Editor's note: See the "Analyzing the DNA of Your Wine" in the July 2011 issue of Wines & Vines for more information about PCR analysis.) Mills collected 240 must samples from California wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties, northern San Joaquin County near Lodi and the Central Coast. The results showed differences in the microbiota for each region, and Mills said differences appeared David between Napa Val- Mills ley regions such as St. Helena and Oakville. "I would say in this case the microbes are a reflection of the terroir," he said. Mills said there is quite a bit more research to be done, but the early results offer an interesting possibility that wine could be further identified not just by where it's from but what microbes in- habit it. Speculating about the future, Mills also wondered if the microbiota information could be used to predict wine quality by offering an insight into vineyard health. Mills credited the work that graduate student Nicholas Bokulich did on the project. Bokulich winesandvines.com also presented a Learn more: Search keywords poster describing "PCR microbe." his work studying the microbe populations on winery equipment and surfaces before, during and after harvest. Bokulich used some of the same DNA analysis methods to identify the microorganisms in samples pulled at the same place throughout the teaching winery at UC Davis. He said results indicate that, as one may expect, fermentation yeasts dominated during harvest. Equipment often used with fermenting must and juice also appeared to serve as microbial "reservoirs" that contributed to fermentation. Other microorganisms not related to fermentation comprised the majority of the populations before and after harvest, and these appeared to be able to resist "colonization" by the fermentation microbiota. —Andrew Adams The original, BOTTLE-MATIC-II 3 YEAR WARRANTY INCLUDED Front and Back! MADE IN USA! 21 day trial $1800 for Wines & Vines Readers! Front & Back! Label any cylindrical container fast and accurately from ½" to 8" diameter, @ Speeds of 1200 Pcs. per hour. NOT A CHEAP, IMPORTED KNOCK-OFF! ISPENSA-MATIC DLabel Dispensers STOP Wasting Time Labeling by Hand! Price subject to change without notice. 28220 Playmor Beach Rd, Rocky Mount, MO 65072 Call Toll Free: 1 (800) 325-7303 or (573) 392-7684 FAX:(573) 392-1757; E-mail: info@dispensamatic.com Web: http://www.bottle-labeler.com 2/01/10 win eS & v i n eS M AY 20 13 17