California Ag Network

Tag: viticulture innovation

  • From California to Idaho: ASEV Brings the Science of Vineyard Nutrition to a New Frontier

    Bringing together vineyard researchers, enologists, and growers from across the nation, the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV), in association with the National Grape Research Alliance (NGRA), will host the Vineyard Nutrition Symposium in Boise, Idaho, as part of the 2026 ASEV National Conference.

    The symposium will highlight the latest advances in monitoring vineyard nutrition considering variability—different soils, climates, and grape markets—that impact grape production in every region. By convening experts in the heart of Idaho’s emerging Snake River Valley, ASEV underscores its commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange that benefits both established and developing winegrowing communities.

    From emerging precision technologies to field-level applications, attendees will learn how to use advanced tools and methods to better understand, predict, and optimize vineyard performance. Presentations will bridge research and practice, offering actionable guidance for growers seeking to improve fruit quality, enhance resource efficiency, and strengthen vineyard resilience.

    “Growers are increasingly asking not just what to sample, but how to interpret that data, when to act, and why it matters for the finished wine,” said Patty Skinkis, Ph.D., Professor and Viticulture Extension Specialist at Oregon State University and symposium chair. “We’re moving from lab reports to integrated, vineyard-wide data—and ultimately, connecting that to fruit composition and sensory outcomes.”

    Donnell Brown, National Grape Research Alliance added, “The technology is catching up with growers’ need for real-time data. When you combine good science with practical, real-world applications, you can manage nutrition more efficiently and make a measurable difference in fruit and wine quality.”

    The symposium agenda will include presentations on:

    • Sensor Technology Integration: How tools for nutrient monitoring complement traditional sampling
    • Precision Agriculture in Practice: Field comparisons of nutrient sensors and mapping systems
    • Nitrogen and Beyond: New techniques for quantifying and managing nutrients critical to grapegrowing and winemaking
    • Physiology to Flavor: Linking vine nutrition, fruit chemistry, and wine sensory profiles
    • Panel Discussion: “Ask the Researchers—Exploring Vineyard Nutrition from Past to Future”

    The symposium will be held on June 16, 2026, at the Boise Centre in Boise, Idaho, and includes a networking lunch. For detailed information, visit the ASEV National Conference page. Registration will open in spring 2026.

    About ASEV

    The American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) is an international community of wine and grape professionals that promotes industry vitality through the exchange of information and support of research and education. ASEV publishes the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture and hosts a variety of platforms for the dissemination of basic and applied research as well as the examination of emerging issues shaping the industry. These include the annual National Conference in June and the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium that is co-hosted with the California Association of Winegrape Growers. The Society also operates the ASEV Foundation, which will provide scholarships and educational opportunities for students in enology and viticulture. The Foundation is currently in the fundraising stage. For more information, visit asev.org.

     About the National Grape Research Alliance

    The National Grape Research Alliance (NGRA) is an industry-led nonprofit membership organization that advances the research needs of all sectors and all regions of the American grape and wine industry, spanning wine, table grapes, juice and raisins, nationwide. We connect industry, academic scientists, and federal and state research agencies to initiate novel research projects and programs to solve industry challenges together. Since our founding in 2005, we’ve been instrumental in securing $65 million in funding for scientific solutions to grape and wine industry issues. Learn more at graperesearch.org.

  • Cabernet Sauvignon’s 400 Year Memory Revealed

    About 400 years ago, a cross between cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc gave birth to cabernet sauvignon. Today, cabernet sauvignon is the world’s most-planted wine grape, dominating vineyards from Napa to Bordeaux. New research from the University of California, Davis, reveals that the grape still carries a kind of gene memory of its parents.

    Clones over the centuries

    Unlike annual crops such as corn or wheat, grapevines are propagated from cuttings, not seeds. Each new vine is essentially a clone of its ancestor. That means every cabernet sauvignon vine grown today is genetically nearly identical to the original 17th-century plant.

    “When you think about it, it’s unusual compared to most crops, which are continuously improved through breeding,” said Professor Dario Cantù, of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology. “We still cultivate plant material selected hundreds of years ago simply because cabernet sauvignon is so beloved.”

    Scientists have long wondered whether chemical “switches” that help control how genes turn on and off, known as epigenetic marks, remain stable across hundreds of years of clonal reproduction. A new study led by Cantù and published in the journal Genome Biology shows they do.

    “These are modifications that don’t alter the genetic code itself, but sit on top of it,” Cantù explained. “They can be inherited from your parents, but also change as you develop, as you interact with the environment or as you’re challenged by stress or disease.”

    The team used advanced genome sequencing to assess the stability of these epigenetic modifications, which can influence traits like fruit quality and stress tolerance. The study is the first to show that this kind of molecular memory can persist for centuries in a clonally-propagated crop.

    “It’s like sequencing identical twins at 90 and still detecting the parental signatures they inherited, even though their experiences — and much of their epigenome — has changed with age,” Cantù said.

    New genetic analysis tools

    To uncover this, scientists assembled highly detailed genome maps of cabernet sauvignon and its parent varieties, cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc. They analyzed multiple clones of each cultivar and developed a sophisticated genomic model, called a phased sequence graph, that captures subtle genetic and epigenetic variations more accurately than traditional reference genomes.

    This new framework allowed researchers to trace how epigenetic marks are inherited along with DNA, and to understand how those marks affect gene activity. The study showed clonal plants may show minor differences from one vine to another, but their core epigenetic patterns or “gene memory” remain remarkably stable, even across centuries of clonal propagation.

    Clues for climate resilience

    This discovery could help scientists understand how long-lived crops adapt to their environments and whether those adaptations leave stable molecular marks. Cantù noted that if some epigenetic responses to heat, drought or other stresses prove to be stable, they could become targets in breeding.

    “If we know which stress-induced epigenetic changes persist, we could potentially introduce them by exposing plants to specific conditions and select vines that retain those beneficial marks over the long term — without altering their genetic makeup and preserving the defining traits of varieties like cabernet sauvignon.”

    The framework developed for this research can be applied to many other perennial crops. By identifying which inherited markers endure, scientists hope to guide breeding programs for resilience and quality.

    The discovery also carries a historical resonance for UC Davis. In 1997, UC Davis professor and geneticist Carole Meredith first identified cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc as the parents of cabernet sauvignon. Nearly three decades later, Cantù’s team has shown that the grape still bears molecular traces of that ancestral pairing.

    “This work connects a UC Davis classic to a UC Davis first,” Cantù said. “It shows that even after centuries, cabernet sauvignon still holds the molecular memory of where it came from.”

    Other authors include Noé Cochetel, Amanda M. Vondras and Rosa Figueroa-Balderas of UC Davis; Joel Liou and Paul Peluso of Pacific Biosciences.

    This research was partially supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the E. & J. Gallo Winery and the Ray Rossi Endowment in Viticulture and Enology. — By Amy Quinton, UC Davis