Sarah Knight* and Amber Parker
*University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand (s.knight@auckland.ac.nz)

Microbial communities play a core role in the quality of agricultural products, with measurable effects on nutrient availability and plant disease resilience. The wine industry is particularly dependent on the role microbial communities play during fermentation, transforming grapes to wine, and how they contribute to the quality of wine produced. Previous research reports microbial community composition correlates with wine chemical properties. In combination with microbial community differentiation by geographic region, there is now compelling evidence of a microbial  aspect to wine regional typicity, or terroir. However, climate change models predict temperature increases for all winegrowing regions in New Zealand. Temperature can alter microbial species interactions and community dynamics in model communities, but how this translates to microbial communities of significance for wine styles is unknown. We predict that increases in temperature will change the composition of microbial communities in New Zealand vineyards and are interested in their interaction with vine physiology and effects on wine characteristics, including regional wine typicity. Using a combination of field and laboratory-based experiments, we will evaluate aspects of microbial community ecology and population biology to understand how temperature shapes microbial communities associated with vines and winemaking, and how these differences might affect wine chemical composition. By understanding changes in microbial communities and plant phenotypes in response to climate change, the New Zealand Wine Industry will be better prepared to implement strategies to adapt to potential changes in regional wine styles with the aim of retaining their current reflection of regional wine typicity.

Funding Support: New Zealand Winegrowers Bragato Research Institute University of Auckland