Fermentation as a Decoder Ring: Reading Genotype, Environment, and Vineyard Management Signals in Grape and Wine Metabolomes
Plant Biology Seminar Series

Abstract:
Grape berries act as integrators of a growing season, capturing the combined effects of genotype and environment, including scion × rootstock interactions, water and nutrient status, weather, and vineyard management decisions such as irrigation or pest and disease pressure. The challenge is that this information is stored in a high-dimensional metabolite “black box” that is often difficult to interpret directly from fruit chemistry alone. I will present a framework for using fermentation and microvinification as a controlled biological transformation—a kind of “decoder ring”—that helps reveal which components of the grape metabolome are most meaningful for physiology, stress response, and ultimately wine composition. Drawing on multi-year vineyard studies, I will highlight how rootstock–scion genotype combinations and vineyard/environmental drivers shift key metabolic pathways (with emphasis on phenolics and aroma-relevant precursors), and how fermentation can clarify, amplify, or reorganize these signals into interpretable chemical outcomes in wine. I will also discuss practical analytical strategies that connect discovery to mechanism, combining LC–MS-based metabolomics with targeted measurements and structure-informed interpretation to link vineyard drivers to changes in grape and wine chemistry. The broader goal is to show how pairing plant/fruit metabolite profiling with fermentation outcomes can improve our ability to interpret complex datasets and identify signals that are biologically informative and actionable.

Contact

  Charlie Anderson
  cta3@psu.edu