Region-associated microbial signatures persist during inoculated fermentation of Nebbiolo grapes.

Region-associated microbial signatures in fungal and bacterial communities persist throughout inoculated fermentation of Nebbiolo grapes despite dominant starter cultures.

• Why it matters: Understanding whether vineyard microbial signatures endure during fermentation is crucial for linking regional terroir to wine characteristics, which remains poorly understood in inoculated processes.
• What they did: The study analyzed fungal and bacterial communities from multiple vineyards during inoculated fermentations of Nebbiolo grapes, combining microbial profiling with chemical and volatilome analyses.
• The result: Distinct microbial, chemical, and volatile profiles associated with vineyard regions persisted throughout fermentation, indicating regional microbial imprints remain detectable despite commercial starter culture dominance.