Sequencing Australian wine grapevine germplasm

The identification of grapevine cultivars is complex due to the legacy of many centuries of cultivation in many countries and the significant movement of material between regions and countries. While grapevines can be unequivocally typed to a variety level using morphological differences, clonal identification currently depends on tracing supply records back to the point of origin. Such records are not always available or reliable. Genome sequencing technology provides the most highly detailed methodology for defining grapevine cultivars and, more importantly, clones of those cultivars. This is the first phase of a project which aims to sequence and analyse all of the commercial grapevine germplasm in Australia. This will provide a complete dataset that encompasses the breadth of genetic diversity in grapevine that is available to Australian grapegrowers and winemakers and will provide the knowledge base required for cultivar and clone identification services.