Microbial Diversity of Grapes
Joy Ting
March 2020
Grapes are far from sterile when they come into the winery from the vineyard. Rather, they bring in a vast number and diversity of microbes that may be beneficial or detrimental to the quality of the resulting wine. As soon as the grapes are crushed, competition for dominance ensues that will likely have significant impact on aroma and flavor. Recent advances in molecular biology have allowed researchers to characterize this diversity and succession with much more specificity in recent years. In order to understand the effect of winemaking interventions like chitosan or bioprotective yeast on wine quality, we must first understand the microbes we are dealing with. This presentation contains a brief review. It was first recorded in the Spring of 2020 in lieu of having in-person sensory sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
