Chardonnay genome project seeks to improve wine

A genome can tell you a lot of things. And researchers at the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) and the University of British Columbia’s Wine Research Centre are hoping the genome of the Chardonnay grape will tell us a lot about the world’s most popular wine grape.

The joint venture between the two institutions seeks to reveal insights into features of 15 different varieties of the grape, including early or late ripening, loose or small bunch sizes and seedless or large berries.

Despite it being the most planted wine grape worldwide, and arguably the white wine standard grape, relatively little is known about what makes it tick, said project co-lead Prof. Hennie van Vuuren, director of the UBC Wine Research Centre at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

“Despite its popularity, not much is known about the Chardonnay genome,” he said. “Our goal is to help wineries identify their Chardonnay varieties so they can plant the most appropriate type for their climate, leading to improved quality of wine.”

The Australian Wine Research Institute is also involved in a systems biology project to understand wine from the genome up through the proteome to the metabolome.

“We’re delighted to have secured this partnership with UBC for the benefit of Australian grape and wine producers,” said Dan Johnson, Managing Director of the AWRI.

“Assembly of the Chardonnay genome will produce a foundational data resource that will underpin many such projects and, with time, will assist in developing practical game changing strategies for the growing of this variety.”

To date, the initiative has received a total of C$585,000 in funding from Genome British Columbia, UBC, the UBC Wine Research Centre, Bioplatforms Australia and the AWRI.