S39: Wine microbial terroir: High throughput mapping of the microbiota associated with wine production

Wine production requires a transformation of grapes through microbial activity with indisputable consequences for wine quality parameters. However, the determinants of regional wine characteristics are most commonly assumed to stem from viticultural and environmental factors influencing grape development. We propose that these same factors may shape grape-surface microbiota which, in turn, directly and/or indirectly influences wine fermentations. Using high-throughput sequencing analysis of grape, wine, and winery surface microbiota, we have tracked the shifting microbiome that accompanies wine throughout production, demonstrating that unique microbial communities create regional and variety-specific signatures. Additionally, the winery environment is an important reservoir for two-way transfer of microbes between wine fermentations. The combination of regional origin, varietal background, and winery surface interactions shapes the unique, traceable, microbial populations of wine fermentations, with strong implications for product quality.