Temporal Changes in Microbial Diversity in Vineyard Soil and Grapes
Authors: Jasmine Leiva, Gabriela Franco, Danica Lee, Brennan Withers, Michael Acholonu, Eric Wong
Faculty Supervisor: Archana Anand
Department: Biology
Microbes found in soil can significantly impact the taste and quality of wine, also called wine terroir. To date, wine terroir has been thought to be associated with the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. However, there is a fragmented understanding of the contribution of vineyard microbes to wine terroir. The main focus of this project is to determine whether microbial communities in the soil and grapes change spatially and temporally within a vineyard. Using grapes and sediment from 9 different blocks at Neely Winery in Portola Valley, California, USA, we aimed to quantify microbial community diversity. We extracted DNA from vineyard soil and grapes and sent them for 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing, we then analyzed the results using bioinformatics. Preliminary results show the presence of Proteobacteria, Venucomicrobiota, and Actinobacteriota. Studying the microbial communities in the soil of vineyards can help winemakers produce high-quality wines with desirable qualities and promote sustainable agricultural practices.