Grape DNA

Filed in archive Wine Making on October 18, 2006

Science meets grape - grape tastes better - wine tastes better, or at least, that is what some British Columbia scientists hope as they examine grapes and try to figure out their DNA and how this can help them grow a better grape.

Here's the scientific info from Using DNA to build a better chardonnay:

Their ultimate goal is to figure out how berry flavour components are determined by the interplay of a grape's genetic makeup with environmental factors such as light, water and nutrients.

If the research proves fruitful, viticulturalists and winemakers may be able to use the information to monitor changes in the berries that they couldn't otherwise see.

Eventually, Prof. Lund says, the reseachers are hoping that they can come up with hand-held tools that could be taken into the vineyard and used to detect the presence of certain proteins in the grapes right at the vineyard.

"This is an exciting project in terms of its potential economic outcomes," Mr. Godbout said in an interview.