Wine microbiology, particular the yeast(s) responsible for the conversion of grape juice to wine, has a significant impact on wine composition and thus the quality and saleablilty of wine. Understanding the manner in which yeast genetic constitution influences these processes can shed light on ways a winemaker might be able to manipulate winemaking conditions, and therefore yeast performance. In addition, such knowledge will provide researchers with approaches to isolate or produce strains with superior performance. This presentation outlines the medium and long term goals of research activities in this area.

1. Wine 2030 Conference
Research to transform the wine industry
Yeast Genomics:
Medium and Long Term Goals
Assoc Prof Vladimir Jiranek
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus.
The University of Adelaide is a partner in the Wine Innovation Cluster

2. Winemaking is easy
But hard to predict exact outcome (composition)
+ =
A particular composition is important to sell wine
(i.e. one specifically sought after by consumers)

3. Winemaking is easy
But hard to predict exact outcome (composition)
+ =
A particular composition is important to sell wine
(i.e. one specifically sought after by consumers)

4. • Must know what consumers (producers) want
(from a compositional point of view)
• Need to understand process so that can
achieve this
– per se i.e. in a „typical‟ year
but also
– against increasing variability
(of inputs and consumer desires)
Long term goal: To achieve a precise (tailored)
compositional outcome (i.e. „dial-up a wine‟)

5. What does the outcome of reaching the
long term goal look like?
Complete
compositional Influence of
profile of winemaking
grapes/juice fully defined
Reconcile &
integrate
inputs,
control the
process
Wine of specified
composition

6. Can’t tackle all aspects toward long term goal
What are some key medium term goals?
Defining the Yeast and „Wine‟ Metabolomes
Defining Wine Yeast Genomics
Integrating these datasets
Developing models and thus strategies or strains
Moving to include more winemaking parameters

7. The Wine Yeast and ‘Wine’ Metabolomes:
Progress & Challenges
 Development of protocols for exo- & endo-
metabolomes of yeast in „wine‟ media (merit of each?)
 Definition of the Wine Metabolome
Metabolites from yeast and bacteria, grapes, additives,
chemical reactions, enzymatic modification, etc.
• Definition of above is a large but „pedestrian‟ task
• Analytical systems exist but not a single platform
• Can detect but not identify all – need reference libraries
• Need to integrate multiple datasets – data management

8. Wine Yeast Genomics: Progress & Challenges
 Lab yeast genome has been sequenced (1996)
 Genomes of wine yeasts recently sequenced (2008)
FEMS Yeast Res. (2008)
Interpretation – lost, added, modified, new genes
 Functional Genomics to understand function of
genes in winemaking
Can look at all genes OR just the vital genes i.e.
the “(Minimal) Wine Genome”
Use libraries – deletion, over-expression, etc.
Need to look at interactions of genes

9. Genome-Metabolome Integration, Predictive
Models, Strategies and Strains:
Progress & Challenges
 Integration of information from two(+) data sets
leading to a predictive model of fermentation
and metabolism.
 Development of strategies for tailoring wine
Juice:strain matching
Ferment management protocols

10. Genome-Metabolome Integration, Predictive
Models, Strategies and Strains:
Progress & Challenges
►Minimal Genome used to yield a „skeletal‟ yeast
as a basis for constructing tailored yeasts
Strains used: as is (i.e. GM)
as proof-of-concept
for selecting natural variants (non-GM)
Data + data + data = bioinformatics
will be essential!

11. Long Term Goal
Move towards a systems approach by way of:
• Rapid and comprehensive analytical capabilities.
• Completely integrated model(s) of viticultural and
oenological parameters.
To give protocols for the ready modification of
winemaking (i.e. process and yeast) for a given
outcome even if inputs are variable.
This ability to will need to able to rapidly respond to
changing consumer preferences or market forces.