At last we may start see some real world benefits of all this genome sequencing we’re doing: better wine at better prices. An international team is announcing the second genome sequence of the pinot noir grape.

“This description of the grape genome presents an opportunity to direct genetic improvement or disease resistance,” says Brian Dilkes, academic editor of the paper in PLOS One (press release). “The genome sequence simultaneously identified hundreds of genes, which correspond to enzymes that produce flavor and aroma compounds. This will allow breeding for diseases resistance to proceed without disturbing the biochemistry of taste and grape quality. When I told sommelier Andrew Meadows about this recently, his reaction was, ‘Good! I would love to offer a decent Pinot for less than $30’.”

The Pinot Noir grape has already been sequenced and published – in Nature earlier this year (paper, news coverage). But as Reuters notes, the new team have catalogued the single nucleotide polymorphisms – where a single nucleotide differs between species.

These SNPs could now act as a library of variation, allowing researchers to unpick which genes influence which characteristics. “It is a treasure trove,” says Dilkes.

I guess genome sequences are like wine bottles at Christmas time – you can never have too many. Raise a glass to both research teams.

Image: Getty