From UF/IFAS
In Summary:
In a major advancement for Florida agriculture and the state’s long-elusive wine ambitions, UF/IFAS researchers have successfully grown and harvested five Pierce’s disease–resistant grape varieties in Citra, resulting in 13 cases of wine crafted in partnership with Château Le Coeur. Led by Horticultural Sciences Associate Professor Ali Sarkhosh, the project demonstrates that Florida may finally be able to expand beyond muscadine grapes—which dominate the state’s vineyards but lack a strong global market—into traditional-style wines made from hybrids with a Vitis vinifera lineage. The collaboration produced a dark, fruit-forward wine named “Genial,” made from the hybrid Erante Noir and blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Researchers and growers say the breakthrough could unlock new crop options, spur agri-tourism, and lay the foundation for a Florida-based wine industry capable of competing in a national market where Florida is already the second-largest consumer.
In a milestone for Florida agriculture, researchers have successfully grown and harvested wine grapes that are resistant to the primary bacterial disease that has long hindered the state's establishment of a large-scale wine industry.
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Researchers successfully grew five grape varieties in Citra, Florida, that are resistant to Pierce’s disease, a bacterial infection that kills the vines and causes the grapes to shrivel. The effort, led by Ali Sarkhosh, associate professor in the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticultural sciences department, produced a harvest of grapes that resulted in 13 cases of wine.
While Florida has a thriving muscadine grape industry, the global market for muscadine wine is relatively small compared to the market for wine made from Vitis vinifera, the species of grapes behind world-famous wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot. Florida is already the nation’s second-highest wine-consuming state, behind only California, with an industry valued at $15 billion in 2022. Yet most of the wines served are produced elsewhere, primarily in California, Oregon, and Washington.
Sarkhosh said he hopes this research will offer a potential additional crop for muscadine grape farmers. As of 2017, there were 547 Florida vineyards, growing muscadine and hybrid grapes.
“This could be an enormous opportunity for vineyards in Florida to expand into additional types of wine for a wider market,” he said. “This could be the start of a new chapter for Florida wine.”
UF researchers collaborated with Château Le Coeur, a winery based in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, to produce wine from their harvest. The wine was crafted with 75% Florida-grown fruit and blended with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
The grape used in the wine collaboration is a hybrid called “Erante Noir” and was developed at the University of California, Davis. It carries the genes of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
John Choquer, the owner of Château Le Coeur, emphasized the potential for this collaboration.
“If we are successful in growing in the area and combating Pierce’s disease effectively, it will be a strong growth industry and emerging market for agri-tourism,” he said.
Early tastings point to a dark, fruit-forward wine. Château Le Coeur named this debut wine “Genial,” a French expression for something new and innovative.
He said he is also planting a variety of traditional wine grapes, red and white, at his vineyard. He said his winery is grateful for UF’s support and collaboration as he works to create a Florida-based traditional wine industry.
“This is not a short-term experiment,” Choquer added. “We plan to test more Pierce’s disease-resistant and traditional vinifera varieties, refine vineyard practices and build a new type of wine industry here in Florida. There will be challenges, there will be setbacks, but the potential is also so great. There is such a strong market potential here in Florida.”
Key Points:
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UF/IFAS researchers successfully harvested five Pierce’s disease–resistant grape varieties in Citra, overcoming a barrier that has limited Florida’s wine industry for decades.
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The project produced 13 cases of wine in collaboration with Château Le Coeur, using the hybrid Erante Noir blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
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Pierce’s disease has historically killed traditional wine grape varieties in Florida, restricting growers primarily to muscadine grapes, which have limited global market appeal.
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Researchers hope the breakthrough will expand crop options for Florida’s 547 vineyards and spur growth in both wine production and agri-tourism.
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Early tastings of the resulting wine, named “Genial,” suggest strong potential as Florida tests more hybrid and traditional varieties to build a sustainable wine industry.
ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human, and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries and all Florida residents.
For more information, go to ifas.ufl.edu.
