Scientists Isolate Genetic Difference Between European and American Vines

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for the Dec. 15, 2009 issue

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Stuart Fox
Issue: December 15, 2009

Some people consider being called "foxy" a compliment, but it's never good for wine. It describes a musty or wet fur smell and is an infamous characteristic of wines made from American Vitis labrusca grapes. But in a new study, German scientists have discovered a gene that could enable selective breeding to eliminate the foxy flavor, setting the stage for hybrids that are as disease- and pest-hardy as American vines, but produce wines as beautiful as those from European vines.

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