Molecular Tools to Analyze Microbial Populations in Red Wines

Abstract Winemaking involves a wide range of microbiota that greatly influences the quality of wine and may cause negative attributes of some wines. Thus, the detection, identification, and characterization of the wine microbiome, including genera, species, strains, and metabolites involved, is of crucial importance. In the past decades, molecular techniques based on the analysis of DNA and proteins have allowed a better understanding of the role of microbial diversity in the whole process of winemaking, from the vineyard to the final product. Recent advances will further improve the knowledge on the interaction of species and also the role of enzymes, virulence factors, and other molecules that regulate the behavior of certain strains.