Microbiome and Microbiota Within Wineries: A Review

Area of Science:

• Oenology
• Microbiology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Winery microbiota encompasses diverse microbial niches from grapes to fermentation tanks, surfaces, and air.
• Microbial communities in wineries influence wine quality, worker health, and consumer safety.
• Climate change is altering grape composition, impacting fermentation dynamics and wine characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the winery microbiome, from grape to processing environments.
• To assess the associated risks to wine quality and human health.
• To discuss the influence of climate change on the winery microbiome and associated challenges.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on winery microbiota.
• Discussion of analytical techniques including flow cytometry, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and metagenomics.
• Analysis of climate change impacts on grape composition and microbial ecology.

Main Results:

• Microbial diversity is influenced by grape variety, ripeness, environmental factors, and winemaking activities.
• Winery surfaces and equipment harbor microbial communities that can affect wine and health.
• Climate change leads to wines with higher alcohol and lower acidity, and favors disease-associated microbes producing mycotoxins or biogenic amines.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the winery microbiome is crucial for managing wine quality and safety.
• Climate change presents significant challenges to the stability and safety of the winery microbiome.
• Advanced molecular techniques are essential for characterizing and monitoring winery microbial communities.