Disease-Resistant Wine Grapes Could Be Boon for Florida’s Viticulture

Researchers at UF/IFAS are harvesting their first crop of potentially disease-resistant wine grapes in Florida.

The first crop at UF/IFAS’s Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Florida, of Pierce’s disease-resistant grapes showed no signs of disease. The grape variety was developed by the University of California Davis, and UF researchers are working to prove the grapes can be grown effectively in Florida, thereby giving the state a boost to its nascent wine industry, said UF/IFAS associate professor Ali Sarkhosh. This 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.

“We see these grapes are doing well,” he said. “It is very exciting. It could be a really great opportunity for agro-tourism.”

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