Clonal mapping of Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is one of the highest value grape varieties in Australia (up to $5,000/t), with sales of grapes contributing $5.7 million per annum to the South Australian wine industry and representing 60% of the value directly generated from Adelaide Hills red grapes. Of the 672 ha of Pinot Noir grown in the region (42% of South Australia’s Pinot Noir), more than 35% was burnt in the December 2019 Cudlee Creek fire. The fire resulted in the loss of more than 2,000 tonnes of grape production and significant losses in revenue for around 60 Adelaide Hills grape and fine wine producers.

Prior to the fires, the Adelaide Hills region had the majority of Pinot Noir source blocks in South Australia. The bushfire destroyed 6 out of 28 source blocks, significantly reducing the supply of high-demand clonal planting material to industry. While potential vineyards for new source blocks were identified, there was a lack of evidence on the provenance of the clonal material, in particular for the sought-after Pinot Noir clone D4V2. Definitive clonal identification of alternative sources of planting material was required.

To address these challenges, a broad range of Pinot Noir germplasm was sequenced, allowing generation of a foundational sequence dataset of Pinot Noir clones used for grape and wine production in the Adelaide Hills, including key clones that were lost due to bushfire damage. The project is a world-first application of state-of-the-art whole genome sequencing for the assessment of genetic diversity in Pinot Noir grapevines.

The results enabled identification of clonal genetic markers for individual Pinot Noir clones and provided the means to identify potential sources of high-confidence germplasm for the re-establishment of source blocks within the Adelaide Hills. This will in turn enhance confidence in replanting investments, facilitate vineyard recovery and improve income for wine producers in the region.

Objectives

This project will use DNA sequencing to develop a genetic database for commercially relevant Pinot Noir clones. The database will serve as a reference for clonal verification of all Australian Pinot Noir and allow verification of the clonal material held in germplasm collections and source blocks. In the first instance, the aim is to enable key source blocks and valuable commercial Pinot Noir vineyards lost in the Adelaide Hills bushfire of December 2019 to be replaced with verified, true-to-type clonal material.

Approach

The project will:

• Generate whole genome sequences using leaf samples collected from a range of Pinot Noir clones held in source blocks and germplasm collections across Australia.
• Use bioinformatics to map clonal DNA reads against the published Pinot Noir reference genome and determine the genetic relationships between clones.
• Verify identity of Pinot Noir vines and identify germplasm that may be suitable for replacing D4V2 Pinot Noir source blocks burnt in the Cudlee Creek bushfire of December 2019. This would be the first time a provider of cuttings in Australia will be able to verify the identity of planting material at the clonal level.
• Create a genetic database for commercially relevant Pinot Noir clones and heritage germplasm. The database would serve as a reference for clonal verification of all Australian Pinot Noir planting material, adding to previous work on Chardonnay and enabling the future development of a commercial clonal identification service.

Sector benefits

Access to genetically verified Pinot Noir clones is of strategic and economic importance to the sector as it enables vine improvement groups to resume the supply of cuttings to the propagation industry and allows growers to rapidly return to production. Clonal identification of Australia’s grapevine germplasm will allow the diversity of our current range of clones to be determined and facilitate supply of true-to-type grapevine planting material, providing confidence in vineyard investment.