Disease-Resistant Wine Grapes on the Grow in Florida

Posted by Paul Rusnak|August 29, 2024

Raise your glass! University of Florida researchers have something to toast. They are harvesting their first crop of potentially disease-resistant wine grapes. This first crop of Pierce’s Disease-resistant wine grapes grown at the UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, showed no signs of disease.

The grape variety was developed by the University of California, Davis. UF/IFAS researchers are working to prove the grapes can be grown effectively in Florida, thereby giving the state a boost to its small-but-growing wine industry, according to UF/IFAS Associate Professor Ali Sarkhosh.

Sarkosh’s research, which is backed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences’ viticulture program, has been underway for a few years. He’s hoping the latest development could open the door to more traditional wine operations in Florida, rather than exclusively muscadine wine, which is easier to grow in Florida’s climate.

Pierce’s disease, caused by bacteria, has been a big challenge for viticulture. This especially in humid climates like Florida. The disease is vectored by a tiny insect — the glassy-winged sharpshooter. It stops the water-spreading vessels inside grapevines, leading to severe water stress and vine death. The disease costs vineyards hundreds of millions of dollars a year. So far, no method has been found to fully prevent the disease, making genetic resistance a critical focus for researchers.

For more, continue reading at blogs.ifas.ufl.edu.