The Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) is dedicated to offering innovative support services to the grape and wine community.

Whether it be industry sponsored conferences, workshops, lecture series or analytical services, CCOVI advances technology and knowledge transfer throughout the industry. In consultation with the industry, the institute is continually developing new outreach programs. CCOVI’s outreach services are pivotal in helping with the growth and sustainability of the grape and wine industry.

Learn more

View our Industry Outreach: advancing the industry through innovation brochure.

Industry Services

CCOVI offers a variety of standard analytical services to the grape and wine industry.

Click here for more details.

Grapevines are susceptible to many virus and virus-like agents that can negatively impact the health and quality of grapevine and its products. Detection is a first-step in the management of grapevine virus diseases.

At Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, we offer highly sensitive and accurate molecular virus diagnostics through CCOVI’s virus testing services to help manage the health status of grapevines.  CCOVI virus testing services is your resource for detection.

Visit Grapevine Virus Testing

In collaboration with the Grape Growers of Ontario, CCOVI samples and tests grape clusters leading up to the commercial harvest to track the development of the fruit composition of key grape varieties across the region.

Visit Preharvest Monitoring

TanninAlert is an online tannin-monitoring portal providing customized data retrieval and tracking tools that facilitate best tannin management practices and informed decision-making throughout the winemaking process.

The program measures skin and seed tannin separately in red grape varieties. The skin and seed tannin measurements are then compared to CCOVI’s database of measurements (dating from 2015 to present) and subsequently categorized as low, medium or high to assist with winemaking decisions.

Visit TanninAlert

Provides grape growers with comparative levels of bud hardiness for cultivars at different locations throughout the dormant period, which assists grape growers in managing winter injury.

Visit VineAlert

Outreach Briefs

Sour rot is a recurring problem in early season thin-skinned, tight-clustered grape varieties (Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Gamay and Baco noir) and has been responsible for more than $1.5 million in crop loss in a given season in the Ontario region, when weather conditions promote infection.

CCOVI has assembled an Outreach Brief to help the industry addresses the challenges associated with Sour Rot: Download Tips For Managing Sour Rot in the Winery