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We elucidate grapevine evolution and domestication histories with 3525 cultivated and wild accessions worldwide. In the Pleistocene, harsh climate drove the separation of wild grape ecotypes caused by continuous habitat fragmentation. Then, domestication occurred concurrently about 11,000 years ago in Western Asia and the Caucasus to yield table and wine grapevines. The Western Asia domesticates dispersed into Europe with early farmers, introgressed with ancient wild western ecotypes, and subsequently diversified along human migration trails into muscat and unique western wine grape ancestries by the late Neolithic. Analyses of domestication traits also reveal new insights into selection for berry palatability, hermaphroditism, muscat flavor, and berry skin color. These data demonstrate the role of the grapevines in the early inception of agriculture across Eurasia.

Background and Aims Condensed tannins, responsible for berry and wine astringency, may have been selected during grapevine domestication. This work examines the phylogenetic distribution of condensed tannins throughout the Vitaceae phylogenetic tree. Methods Green berries and mature leaves of representative true-to-type members of the Vitaceae were collected before ‘véraison’, freeze-dried and pulverized, and condensed tannins were measured following depolymerization by nucleophilic addition of 2-mercaptoethanol to the C4 of the flavan-3-ol units in an organic acidic medium. Reaction products were separated and quantified by ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography/diode array detection/mass spectrometry. Key Results and Conclusions The original ability to incorporate epigallocatechin (EGC) into grapevine condensed tannins was lost independently in both the American and Eurasian/Asian branches of the Vitaceae, with exceptional cases of reversion to the ancestral EGC phenotype. This is particularly true in the genus Vitis, where we now find two radically distinct groups differing with respect to EGC content. While Vitis species from Asia are void of EGC, 50 % of the New World Vitis harbour EGC. Interestingly, the presence of EGC is tightly coupled with the degree of leaf margin serration. Noticeably, the rare Asian EGC-forming species are phylogenetically close to Vitis vinifera, the only remnant representative of Vitis in Eurasia. Both the wild ancestral V. vinifera subsp. sylvestris as well as the domesticated V. vinifera subsp. sativa can accumulate EGC and activate galloylation biosynthesis that compete for photoassimilates and reductive power.

'Riesling Weiss' is a white grapevine variety famous worldwide for fruity wines with higher acidity. Hardly known is 'Riesling Rot', a red-berried variant of 'Riesling Weiss' that disappeared from commercial cultivation but has increased in awareness in the last decades. The question arises of which variant, white or red, is the original and, consequently, which cultivar is the true ancestor. Sequencing the berry color locus of 'Riesling Rot' revealed a new

The current study inventoried remaining populations of wild grapevine [Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris (Gmel.) Hegi] in territories of south-east Europe encompassing Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Morphological and genetic traits of wild grapevine specimens were evaluated. The inventory started in 2015, confirming several historical populations in eastern Adriatic regions. In addition, some new ones not recorded until now were discovered. During prospection, wild grapevines were found at six geographically distant locations in this territory. Each observed individual was considered to meet truly morphological criteria (dioecism and leaf morphology) for sylvestris. Eighty-two sylvestris individuals belonging to six populations and 23 cultivated grapevines have been analyzed at 20 nuclear simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci to detect genetic diversity. Principal coordinate analysis and model-based cluster analysis differentiated among wild and cultivated grapevines, highlighting clearly two different groups. The results demonstrated the high genetic diversity of wild grapevine, and the existence of hidden alleles that could be of interest for breeding programs. The study provides necessary information for conservation management and further characterization of wild grapevine.

During recent years, numerous genetic loci in grapevine have been described that are linked with a specific phenotype. This information is of high value for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in grapevine breeding. To get an overview and to facilitate the usage of the most relevant genomic loci, we established from a breeding point of view a ‘Table of Loci for Traits in Grapevine’ as a PDF document within the Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) (http://www.vivc.de/loci). Currently, this table contains 62 entries referring to 20 traits. The majority of them (40) are loci and alleles for downy and powdery mildew resistance. Eight entries refer to non-mildew resistances, five to traits of morphology, four to phenology and five to metabolites. The regularly updated table allows the grapevine community to stay informed about already used trait symbols in the literature. It has proved to be very helpful in avoiding double naming and in organizing and supporting a more systematic naming of loci. With the last update, we linked the data of the ‘Table of loci’ with that of the VIVC database itself and implemented a search module to advance convenient operation.

Over the last 20 years, the reputation of minor grape cultivars has increased considerably. Grower magazines and wine journals have reported the renaissance of neglected and even threatened grape cultivars, raising awareness and promoting their cultivation by vine-growers. Minor cultivars represent huge value with respect to cultural heritage, adaptation to ecological conditions, diversification of products and marketing of specialities with a higher economic benefit. Recognizing the heritage and value of traditional crop genetic diversity maintained on farms, in 2017, the European Cooperative Program for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) published a “Concept for on-farm conservation and management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture”. ECPGR described a future strategy for the preservation of genetic resources. Priority actions defined are transmissible to grapevine. They encompass the development of descriptors, inventory of on-farm vineyards, definition of threat categories and overcoming of legal obstacles, ensuring that obsolete cultivars can be grown. Focus on these four issues took place under the scope of the ECPGR grant scheme activity “On-farm inventory of minor grape varieties in the European Vitis Database” in 2017. Twelve researchers from ten countries (Albania, Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia, Spain) participated. Descriptors were selected for the grower (12 descriptors), cultivar preserved (17 descriptors), vineyard description (17 descriptors) and commitments (six descriptors). To date, 191 vineyards have been registered: in Spain (105), Albania (16), Montenegro (14), Croatia (13), Germany (13), France (17), Portugal (5), Serbia (5) and Austria (3). An on-farm database was developed (http://www.eu-vitis.de/on-farm/index.php). Criteria for four threat categories were defined and used to initiate a process for legal inclusion of rare historical cultivars in national cultivar catalogues. Preservation under practice conditions provides deeper knowledge of agronomic features and wine quality of traditional grape cultivars and relieves stress on grapevine collections.

The genetic diversity and relationship between wild (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmel.) Hegi and cultivated (V. vinifera L. subsp. vinifera) grapevine in the western Balkan region and Central Europe have not been studied together previously, although this area has a rich viticultural past. Here, we studied wild grapevine populations sampled from their natural habitats in several countries of the western Balkan region and Central Europe. Their genetic diversity and structure were compared to cultivars that are traditionally in use in this region. A sample set of 243 accessions was genotyped at 20 nuclear microsatellite loci, including 167 sylvestris and 76 diverse vinifera cultivars. The genetic diversity of the wild grapevines was lower than that of cultivars by all genetic parameters. Both hierarchical and nonhierarchical clustering methods differentiated two main groups, indicating clear separation between wild and cultivated vines but also revealed clear gene flow between the cultivated and wild gene pools through overlaps and admixed ancestry values in the graphs. There was greater affinity to the wild grapes in Central European cultivars than in Balkan cultivars. Fine arrangement of the structure among cultivated grapevines showed differentiation among Central European and Balkan cultivars. These results confirm the divergence of wild grapes from vinifera and highlight the &ldquo, crossroad&rdquo, role of the western Balkan peninsula in the broader context of European viticulture.

‘Glera’ and ‘Ribolla Gialla’ are the most economically relevant local grapevine cultivars of Friuli Venezia Giulia region (north-eastern Italy). ‘Glera’ is used to produce the world-renowned Prosecco wine. ‘Ribolla Gialla’ cultivation is constantly increasing due to the strong demand for sparkling wine and is the most important variety in Brda (Slovenia). Knowledge of local varieties history in terms of migration and pedigree relationships has scientific and marketing appeal. Following prospections, genotyping and ampelographic characterization of minor germplasm in Friuli Venezia Giulia, a further research was developed to understand the parentage relationships among the grapevine varieties grown in this region. An integrated strategy was followed combining the analysis of nuclear and chloroplast microsatellites with the Vitis 18k SNP chip. Two main recurrent parents were found, which can be regarded as “founders”: ‘Vulpea’, an Austrian variety parent-offspring related with at least ten Friuli Venezia Giulia cultivars, among them ‘Glera’, and ‘Refosco Nostrano’, first degree related with other six Friuli Venezia Giulia varieties. ‘Ribolla Gialla’ was shown to be another member of the impressively long list of offspring derived from the prolific ‘Heunisch Weiss’. Combining molecular markers and historical references was a high-performance strategy for retracing and adjusting the history of cultivars.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) teinturier cultivars are characterized by their typical reddish leaves and red-fleshed berries due to ectopic anthocyanin formation. Wines of these varieties have economic importance as they can be used for blending to enhance the color of red wines. The unique and heritable mutation has been known for a long time but the underlying genetic mechanism still is not yet understood. Here we describe the association of the red-fleshed berry phenotype with a 408 bp repetitive DNA element in the promoter of the VvmybA1 gene (grapevine color enhancer, GCE). Three different clones of &lsquo, Teinturier&rsquo, were discovered with two, three and five allelic GCE repeats (MybA1t2, MybA1t3 and MybA1t5). All three clones are periclinal chimeras, these clones share the same L1 layer, but have distinct L2 layers with different quantities of GCE repeats. Quantitative real time PCR and HPLC analysis of leaf and berry samples showed that the GCE repeat number strongly correlates with an increase of the expression of VvmybA1 itself and the VvUFGT gene regulated by it and the anthocyanin content. A model is proposed based on autoregulation of VvmybA1t to explain the red phenotype which is similar to that of red-fleshed apples. This study presents results about the generation and modes of action of three MybA1t alleles responsible for the red-fleshed berry phenotype of teinturier grapevines.

Armenia is an important area of crop origins including grapes. The objectives of this study were the molecular characterization of 38 Armenian grape genotypes and the detection of the genetic relationships between the accessions. In total, 164 alleles were obtained at 18 SSRs loci. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 5 to 15 with a mean number of 9.17 alleles per locus. The expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.514 (VVIN73) to 0.90 (VVS2) and the observed heterozygosity from 0.417 (VVIV37) to 0.947 (VVMD7 and VMC1B11). In our research the highest values of polymorphic information content (PIC) were obtained using markers VVS2, VRZAG62 and VRZAG79, while the least informative ones were VVIN73 and VVIB01. A high level of gene diversity was observed between ancient and new bred cultivars. Higher values were recorded for the new grape varieties, (He = 0.792) and lower values for ancient cultivars (He = 0.739). The mean number of alleles (MNA) for all loci per population ranged from 7.39 in ancient to 8,00 in new crosses. A clear separation was observed for the groups of ancient aboriginal cultivars, Vitis vinifera L. xVitis vinifera L. and Vitis vinifera L. x Vitis amurensis Rupr . crosses, which were bred in Armenia and seedless cultivars. Very close relationships with high similarity were determined for 5 pairs of cultivars. Two cases of possible homonymy were also detected. Our results are the basis for future MAS selection and target breeding.

The genetic diversity of wild grapevine [Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmel.) Hegi] in the eastern Adriatic region, which includes Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, has previously not been documented. Natural populations of wild grapevine were identified in their natural habitats, and their genetic diversity was studied and compared with both local and widespread European cultivars. Ninety-two grapevine genotypes were determined at 21 nuclear microsatellite loci, including 53 wild grapevine individuals, 32 diverse local Croatian and west European cultivars, and seven commonly used rootstocks. Two hundred thirty-nine alleles were detected, with a mean of 11.4 alleles per locus and high heterozygosity, ranging from 0.461 to 0.897 for observed heterozygosity and from 0.391 to 0.837 for expected heterozygosity. The genetic diversity of the wild grapevines was slightly lower than that observed in cultivars. Distance- and model-based cluster analysis differentiated three main groups, indicating clear separation between wild, cultivated, and rootstock accessions. This study greatly contributes to knowledge of genetic diversity in local wild grapevine populations in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and provides necessary information for their conservation and further characterization.

Crop wild relatives provide a useful source of genetic variation and represent a large pool of genetic diversity for new allelic variation required in breeding programs. Armenia is an important center of origin both for cultivated Vitis vinifera ssp. sativa and wild Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris. Owing to recent prospection in Armenian woods and river floodplains many forms of wild grapevine were discovered and inventoried, which is an important prerequisite to unlock their breeding potential in the future. The fact that some genotypes of V. sylvestris can withstand the diseases is likely to be due to a more efficient basal immunity. The overall goal of the proposed research was to characterize the diversity of V. sylvestris from Armenia with respect to its capacity for stilbene biosynthesis, which might be exploited as genetic resource for resistance breeding. The realized research stimulates the recovery, characterization and preservation of wild grape germplasm, presently at risk of extinction. The recovery and characterization of wild genotypes will be the base of selection of genetic traits important in breeding programs for the generation of biotic and changing climate tolerant grapevine varieties and rootstocks, both necessary for the future of viticulture in Armenia and in Europe.

The general strategy for grapevine genetic resources conservation in Armenia encompasses the collection of the still existing diversity and the use of protection techniques to minimize the losses over time. Being studied mainly by ampelography, the genetic diversity of Armenian grapevine needs to be re-investigated in accordance with modern requirements and international scales. The purpose of the presented research was the first large-scale molecular characterization of Armenian grape varieties by molecular methods using a set of 24 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers encompassing the nine SSR markers recommended by the European project GrapeGen06. The obtained results indicate the uniqueness of the major part of the investigated varieties and reveal a substantial level of genetic variation within the Armenian grapevine. Based on the realized large-scale investigation a true-to-type inventory of Armenian grape germplasm will be realized and documented in theVitis International Variety Catalogue and in the European Vitisdatabase. The next step having strategic importance in terms of conservation of grape genetic resources in Armenia will be establishment of the first ArmenianVitis database with multi-crop passport description of all varieties preserved in grape collection.

The Eastern Adriatic region, encompassing Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, is considered an important area of natural populations of wild grapevines (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris). The wild grapevine arises in the Eastern Adriatic region in a contact zone of the EU-Mediterranean and the sub-Mediterranean characterized by typical karst relief. This study focuses on the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) analysis of wild grapevines and the biodiversity of accompanying woody species to better understand the genetic variation of the sylvestris populations of the Eastern Adriatic region and to investigate how this variation fits within today’s wild grapevine distribution in the European continent. The allelic variation at nine cpDNA microsatellite loci of wild individuals was used to characterize haplotype diversity in 53 individuals from four population sites. All individuals were grouped into two chlorotypes: A and D, D being the rare haplotype among wild populations on the European continent. In total, 52 woody plant species were identified. However, the studied vegetation structures have been affected by permanent human pressure on natural resources and the preservation status of the collection sites. Based on our results, we conclude that the investigated areas were probably shelter zones for wild grapevine preservation during the unfavorable glaciation era.

Conservation of grapevine biodiversity in the Caucasus and Northern Black Sea Region is particularly urgent because of: 1) the large number of traditional local varieties out of cultivation; 2) the relevance of these resources for the development of European modern cultivars; 3) the financial difficulties in the countries; 4) the occurrence of Vitis vinifera ssp. silvestris throughout the region; 5) wine production as a major potential source of income for the local population in the region. In 2004-2005, significant progress has been made within a collaborative project aimed at strengthening the capacity of the countries of the region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine) to ensure the long-term maintenance of Vitis genetic resources, including the cultivated traditional varieties and the wild resources. The activities include identifying, collecting, characterizing, and conserving the diversity of grapevine genetic resources as a basis to improve local viticulture and winemaking industry.

Downy and powdery mildew, the two most threatening fungal diseases affecting grapevine cultivars are caused by Plasmopara viticola and Uncinula necator. Resistance to these pathogens is exclusively found in North-American and Asian genepools of Vitis which represent valuable genetic resources for resistance breeding. To get a better understanding of the complex mechanisms of resistance and quality parameters at the molecular level, the genetic diversity of a representative collection of Vitis accessions including various interspecific hybrids and Vitis species is being studied in a trilateral cooperation including Germany (Geilweilerhof), France (Genoplante), and Spain (MCyT). The first step is the establishment of a European grapevine CoreCollection comprising a maximum of allelic and phenotypic diversity represented within the collections of the three countries located at Montpellier (F), El Encin (E), and Siebeldingen (D). Genotyping of grapevine accessions is performed using a set of 20 microsatellites evenly distributed throughout the genome. The evaluation of the phenotypic data is based on internationally accepted OIV descriptors for Plasmopara viticola and Uncinula necator resistance. In the near future, the European Vitis CoreCollection will allow us to identify allelic variants of candidate genes for these traits and to elucidate the extent of nucleotide diversity. This project will construct a well-defined characterized Vitis CoreCollection and generate a valuable instrument for the extended use of the naturally existing variability in the Vitis gene pool.

The aim of this study was the improvement of a genetic map of the F1 population from the cross between the fungus-resistant grapevine cv. “Regent” and the susceptible cv. “Lemberger” and its use to localize factors affecting pathogen resistance and leaf morphology. To construct an integrated map combining the information from both parental meiotic recombination frequencies co-dominant microsatellite markers were employed. Resistance gene analog (RGA)-derived and sequence characterized amplified regions (SCAR) markers correlated with powdery and downy mildew resistance were additionally mapped. The new integrated map contains 398 markers aligned along 19 linkage groups, covers a total length of 1,631 cM and shows an average distance between markers of 4.67 cM. One hundred and twenty-two microsatellite markers were newly mapped. This genetic map was used to localize QTLs (quantitative trait loci) conferring resistance to powdery and downy mildew pathogens transmitted from “Regent”. Factors influencing specific leaf morphology traits were identified in addition. A major QTL for powdery mildew resistance and one major and one minor QTL for downy mildew resistance were detected. Some RGA-derived markers are found co-located in the region covered by the major QTL for resistance to downy mildew hinting at their putative functional relevance. Furthermore, 27 QTLs affecting leaf morphology descriptors were identified. This map is an important tool for grapevine breeding and resistance research.

Sequence-characterized amplified regions markers (SCARs) were developed from six randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers linked to the major QTL region for powdery mildew (Uncinula necator) resistance in a test population derived from the cross of grapevine cultivars “Regent” (resistant) × “Lemberger”(susceptible). RAPD products were cloned and sequenced. Primer pairs with at least 21 nucleotides primer length were designed. All pairs were tested in the F1 progeny of “Regent” × “Lemberger”. The SCAR primers resulted in the amplification of specific bands of expected sizes and were tested in additional genetic resources of resistant and susceptible germplasm. All SCAR primer pairs resulted in the amplification of specific fragments. Two of the SCAR markers named ScORA7-760 and ScORN3-R produced amplification products predominantly in resistant individuals and were found to correlate to disease resistance. ScORA7-760, in particular, is suitable for marker-assisted selection for powdery mildew resistance and to facilitate pyramiding powdery mildew resistance genes from various sources.

In order to investigate the comparability of microsatellite profiles obtained in different laboratories, ten partners in seven countries analyzed 46 grape cultivars at six loci (VVMD5, VVMD7, VVMD27, VVS2, VrZAG62, and VrZAG79). No effort was made to standardize equipment or protocols. Although some partners obtained very similar results, in other cases different absolute allele sizes and, sometimes, different relative allele sizes were obtained. A strategy for data comparison by means of reference to the alleles detected in well-known cultivars was proposed. For each marker, each allele was designated by a code based on the name of the reference cultivar carrying that allele. Thirty-three cultivars, representing from 13 to 23 alleles per marker, were chosen as references. After the raw data obtained by the different partners were coded, more than 97% of the data were in agreement. Minor discrepancies were attributed to errors, suboptimal amplification and visualization, and misscoring of heterozygous versus homozygous allele pairs. We have shown that coded microsatellite data produced in different laboratories with different protocols and conditions can be compared, and that it is suitable for the identification and SSR allele characterization of cultivars. It is proposed that the six markers employed here, already widely used, be adopted as a minimal standard marker set for future grapevine cultivar analyses, and that additional cultivars be characterized by means of the coded reference alleles presented here. The complete database is available at http://www.genres.de/eccdb/vitis/. Cuttings of the 33 reference cultivars are available on request from the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Vassal collection (didier.vares@ensam.inra.fr). © Springer-Verlag 2004.

INTRODUCTION – Common limits for phenotyping are costs in terms of equipment, specialized researchers, and time. Moreover, phenotyping requires specific methods in relation to the studied traits, and each method is generally designed to highlight very specific characteristics of the singular trait. Thus, the obtained results are not easily comparable between different institutions. However the data sharing is clearly the most powerful approach to limit the costs and efforts optimizing the obtained results in term of number of studied accessions. It should be stressed that funds are another great limit in research, especially in East countries, where the most interesting cultivar variability is preserved. 28 AIMS AND SCOPES – The main purpose of this work is the establishment of a phenotyping network able to produce comparable data among the Pan-European grapevine collections. MATERIALS AND METHODS – Two protocols were proposed: one for phenology and, the other, for enocarpological traits. Data were recorded in two consecutive vintages: 2012 and 2013. Concerning phenology, the extended BBCH scale (universal and flexible) was adapted to our objects by moving it into a chrono- phenological scale. Then, a cubic curve was selected for modelling the phenological courses. Thus, computing for each accession specific coefficients, it was possible to obtain the relative phenograms. Considering the different site climatic conditions, it was possible to spatialize the results, obtaining reference phenological maps. Concerning eno- carpological traits, the attention was focused on characteristics with a clear impact on the production quality, such as berry morphology (weight, diameters, number of seeds …) and composition (sugar, titratable acidity, anthocyanin and phenolic contents …). The protocol was organized to concatenate the data acquisition, with the objective to generate new derived variables. The methods were selected to be easily reproduced in all the involved collections, without the necessity of expensive facilities. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS – The first year of dataset was used to evaluate the methods. Two publications are already available confirming the protocols quality. Concerning phenology, both the variability between accessions grown into the same collection and the phenological shifts between the reference varieties cultivated in different areas were highlighted by the protocol. Matching climatic and phenological information of reference cultivars, phenophases maps were obtained. The performances obtained by the eno-carpological protocol were satisfactory both in a global point of view and in a singular collection evaluation. The project obtained an impressive participation, considering the volunteer contribution without any material funding to cover the work costs. Twenty-four institutions collaborate to the data collection. 1724 accessions were evaluated: 931 (583 in 2012 and 348 in 2013) for phenology and 793 (424 in 2012 and 369 in 2013) for eno-carpological descriptions. CONCLUSIONS AND POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS – The protocol sharing allows the data comparison among different grapevine collections. The possible future application for this dataset could be related to scientific studies of genetic associations. Moreover, the improved knowledge of minor and neglected cultivars could have a direct impact on the industrial production, giving information concerning new varieties for future introduction in viticultural areas.

The establishment of the Vitis International Variety Catalogue (V IVC) dates back to 1984. The idea was to virtually assemble all accessions maintained in the worldwide existing collections to face genetic erosion. In many cases synonymy, homonymy and misnaming hampered the clear assignment of cultivars/accessions to prime names. In the past 15 years nuclear microsatellites, in particular the nine SSR-markers VVS2, VVMD5, VVMD7, VVMD25, VVMD27, VVMD28, VVMD32, VrZAG62 and VrZAG79 were extensively applied for cultivar recognition in combination with ampelography. Genetic fin- gerprints of more than 15,000 cultivars/accessions were collected. They were taken from more than 300 articles and from microsatellite databases on the web. Allele sizes were adapted according to own internal reference varieties. Comparison of profiles revealed new identities like: “Corbeau” = “Sevilhao”, “Gragnelut” = “Fer”, “Beretinjak” = “Bianco d’Alessano”. The activities aim to equip the prime names of V IVC with reliable genetic profiles combined with the validation of their identity by ampelography. Fingerprints from 1,500 cultivars were already uploaded in V IVC. Two distinct search modules were imple- mented: “Microsatellites by varieties” and “Microsatellites by profiles”. The implementation assists the management of grape- vine genetic resources, e.g. trueness to type assessment in grapevine collections and serves research and breeding.

In the framework of the COST Action FA1003 – ‘GRAPENET: East-West Collaboration for Grapevine Diversity Exploration and Mobilization of Adaptive Traits for Breeding’ – common phenotyping methods have been proposed to characterize germplasm accessions. The protocols aimed at the description of traits of interest for the cultivars exploitation. In particular, phenological and eno- carpological methods were selected. This paper will focus on the phenological records. The extended BBCH scale was selected and adapted to our scope. Methodological details, including agrometeorological data process are presented together with an overview of the first year results. Phenograms were obtained for each observed accession. Replications among the collections and in different years will be necessary to better define the cultivars characteristics. In 2012, the phenological protocol was applied by 20 institutions spread in 16 countries (Azerbaijan, Chech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine). 562 accessions were monitored. The large application of the protocol underlines the determination to collaborate among the European research institutions involved in grapevine germplasm evaluation.