Breakthrough with first disease-resistant wine grapes shows hope for a Florida wine renaissance

By Meredith Bauer-Mitchell and Eva Sailly

In a milestone for Florida agriculture, researchers have grown and harvested wine grapes that are resistant to the main bacterial disease that has long prevented the state from establishing a large-scale wine industry.

Researchers successfully grew five grape varieties in Citra, Florida, that are resistant to Pierce’s disease, a bacterial infection that kills the vines and shrivels the grapes. 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.

To learn more, please read on UF News.

Para accesar a esta comunicación en español, por favor utilice este enlace. 

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Meredith Bauer-Mitchell. Photo taken 11-05-25. Photo: UF/IFAS, Tyler Jones
Posted: November 13, 2025


Category: UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Ali Sarkhosh, Horticultural Sciences, Wine


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