Grant: Alliance Grants

Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) are widely cultivated for wine production and consumption, making them a key economic fruit crop worldwide. Canada's wine industry is rapidly expanding, with 30,940 acres of grapes, 638 wineries, and an annual revenue exceeding eleven billion dollars. Wine quality and economic value are strongly affected by the grape aromas; in several major varieties, these aromas are determined by volatile terpenoids accumulated during ripening. Volatile terpenoids are strongly affected by environmental factors, and climate effects on the biosynthesis of these metabolites appear to be variety specific. Despite the major role in determining wine quality, the biological pathways that control volatile terpenoids and their modulation by the environmental factors have not been fully explored. Globally, climate change impacts such as heat waves and droughts are increasing in frequency, intensity and duration in many key wine growing regions, hence this project aims to understand how the genomic basis of grape aromas shapes the climate-induce changes in wine quality. The collaboration between the Cantù Lab at University of California Davis and the Castellarin Lab at the University of British Columbia aims to fill this knowledge gap. By combining genomic, bioinformatic, metabolomic, and physiological approaches, they will investigate the genes responsible for volatile terpenoid biosynthesis and how these genes and metabolites respond to heat and drought - frequent environmental stresses that occur in Canadian and international wine regions. The research will have significant implications for both the scientific community and the wine industry, shedding light on the biological mechanisms behind grape quality and their responses to climate change, and facilitating the development of viticultural strategies to adapt grape and wine productions to future climate scenarios. This collaboration offers new training opportunities for research trainees, including undergraduate and graduate students. They will learn new lab and bioinformatic skills, and benefit from the expertise of both labs. Additionally, the international collaboration will enhance their communication, leadership, and collaboration skills, making them experts who are able to address the future challenges of the Canadian and international wine sector.