Within the vineyard and the winery, a very small world, the microbial world, exists, but its larger function and impact is largely unknown. The functions of the Saccharomyces yeasts in producing alcohol and other organoleptic components of wine, and the contributions (positive and negative) of certain bacterial components, are becoming clearer. However, numerous other vineyard microbes have been identified in the soil, on the wood and leaves, and on the fruit. Indeed, many others can be demonstrated to exist in the wild even though they are not amenable to laboratory cultivation, but the contributions of these other microbial populations, if any, have not been identified. Furthermore, the firmly-held belief that farming practices contribute to the qualities of wine has not been fully rationalized in any scientific way. The impacts of farming practices (sustainable, organic, Biodynamic) may contribute a substantial portion of their perceived influences through their role of regulating the shape of the microbiome. Longitudinal (i.e., throughout the wine grape growing and winemaking processes) and vertical (i.e., throughout various terroirs and wine grape growing strategies) studies are called for to understand these impacts on the microbiome and how altering the microbiome impacts qualitative components of wine. Although the concept of “microbial terroir” has been discussed for more than a decade, questions such as where the most important microbial reservoirs reside, what the role of the non-culturable components of the microbiome is in the soil and the winery, and what are the contributions of soil composition and farming practices, among others, are only beginning to be asked. The goals of this session are to begin the discussion about these questions, introduce the current state of research in this area, and to encourage awareness of the potential impacts of our viticultural and enological practices on the microbiome.

1. Logo here
The Microbiome as a Component of Terroir:
Emerging Research Worldwide
Greg Jones, Director Evenstad Center for Wine Education
Linfield College

2. Microbiome
▪All plants, in all environments,
depend on microbes
▪Therefore, potentially all
crops, no matter where they
are grown, could benefit from
optimization of their microbial
partners

3. No microbes. No wine, period.
▪ A diverse, complex, and poorly characterized community of
microorganisms lies at the heart of the wine
▪ These microorganisms play key roles at all stages of the wine production
process
– Helping the plants access nutrients from the soil;
– Supporting plant health through protection against pathogens;
– Mitigating the effect of environmental stresses;
– Facilitating the fermentation process transforming must into wine with
its complex array of aromas and flavors.
▪ There is increasing interest from winegrowers, technical institutes, and the
scientific community for a better knowledge of the possible ecosystem
services

4. Research Developments
▪ Many countries, wine regions, and grower/producer associations have
initiated microbiome research
– The OIV has seen microbiome approaches in numerous areas of V&E
research, considering adding it as a “Priority Theme” in both areas
– Wine Australia has increasingly funded microbiome research, and plans
to invest more in the future
– AWRI conducting extensive bacteria and yeast studies
– INRA facilitating numerous regional studies to better understand the
microbiomes role in terroir
– MicroWine is a collaboration between industry and academic partners,
examining the role of the microbial community in wine production

5. Research Developments
▪ Many countries, wine regions, and grower/producer associations have
initiated microbiome research
– The Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences in Spain has developed a
research group whose focus is a better understanding the microflora’s
role in the functional biodiversity of vineyards
– Viticulture and Enology Research Center in Italy has elevated
microbiome research and seeks to expand its program
– The Catena Institute in Argentina has funded microbiome projects, plans
to continue to develop the program and partner with other regional
groups
– The New Zealand Winegrowers and Plant and Food Research have
funded significant microbiome research with plans to continue

6. Research Developments
▪ Microbiome research has become an important component within
numerous terroir-based studies
▪ Large wine companies (e.g., Sogrape, Torres) have RD programs that aim
to use microbiome information to better manage soil health and
biodiversity, promote plant resilience to stresses
▪ International journals in viticulture and enology consider microbiome
research as a ‘hot’ topical area in submissions and publications
▪ The journal Frontiers in Microbiology also considers viticulture and enology
a ‘hot’ topical area for manuscripts
▪ Major international conferences have developed sessions specifically to
showcase microbiome research (Terroir Congress, GiESCO, etc.)

7. The Future
▪ Microbiome research is still in its infancy, however is growing rapidly within
the grape and wine sector, technical institutes, and the scientific
community
▪ Better and more sophisticated methods are producing very interesting and
promising results
▪ In terroir-based research, the key appears to be developing a further
understanding of the functional meaning of the microbiome in terroir
expression
▪ The goal should be to develop a better understanding of the microbiome
such that it allows us to grow better grapes, make better wine, be better
stewards of our environment and ultimately be more sustainable

8. Logo here
The Microbiome as a Component of Terroir:
Emerging Research Worldwide
Greg Jones, Director Evenstad Center for Wine Education
Linfield College