Research into the genome of wine grapes may hold the key to offsetting the negative effects of climate change on winemaking, according to the results of two studies in Italy and the United States.
Both studies centered on the 'maturation' genes which are fundamental to the development of the grape. They appear in the magazine BMC Genomics.
The Italian study was coordinated by Claudio Moser of the San Michele all'Adige Agrarian Institute in Trento and focused on the Pinot Noir grape, while the research in the US was directed by Grant Cramer of the University of Nevada and dealt with the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.
''These studies have broadened our knowledge on maturation and set the stage for future applications, including the commercial advantages of gene manipulation,'' Moser told ANSA.
''For example, we could resolve some of the problems linked to climate change, including the effect of excessive heat on acidic levels in grapes, which are essential to produce a good wine,'' he explained.
Further studies will allow scientists to determine which genes are responsible for acidity in grapes and from this grapes can be chosen which adapt best to above average temperatures, the researcher observed.
''Furthermore, by knowing which genes regulate the accumulation of materials which determine color and substance, as well as the size of the grape and the thickness of its skin, will allow us to improve the quality of the grape through genetic selection,'' Moser said.
Earlier this year the grape vine genome was successfully mapped at the end of a two-year joint Italian-French project.
This came some 17 months after Moser and his team at the San Michele all'Adige Agrarian Institute announced they had mapped the genome of the Pinot Noir grape.
At the time, the Pinot Noir grape became the first fruit and only the second food crop, after rice, to have its genetic material laid completely bare.
The event was heralded because the information about the plant's gene sets will also make it possible to produce new pesticides that protect it better but have less of an impact on the ecosystem.
In his latest study, Moser and his team concentrated only on genes which contribute to a grape's maturation and found that there were two key moments in the process: when the grape changes color and when it achieves maturity and swells with sugar water enriched with aromas and beneficial antitoxins.
''We observed that these two processes involved the employment of an army of some 1,400 genes. We also found that between these two phases the grape accumulates oxygen radicals the purpose of which we still have to determine''.
Cramer's research on the Cabernet grape identified seven phases of maturation which involved a vast number of genes to create aromas, color and antitoxins.
''Once we zero in on the key genes, including those influenced by climate and the quality of the earth, we will unveil the secret of the French proverb: good earth produces good wine,'' Moser concluded.
