Association genetic methods, based on the exploitation of linkage disequilibrium (LD), are valuable tools for the dissection of complex traits. In many plant species, they indeed have shown their usefulness for the analysis of the genetic determinism of quantitative traits. Such strategies are of even higher interest for perennial species, where their use allows to skip the creation of new genetic material, which is time consuming. The publication of the first high quality draft of the grapevine genome sequence opens the prospect of an efficient exploitation of the natural genetic diversity through association genetics. Such studies will become of high relevance for the grape community. The foundation of association genetic studies is the characterization of genetic resources for the definition of highly polymorphic core-collections (Le Cunff et al, submitted). Several studies aiming at the characterization of the structure of the genetic variation along the genome and in the grapevine genetic resources are also necessary to determine the extent of usefulness of such methods in the species of interest. The talk will illustrate different strategies for the exploitation of LD in grapevine and will focus on the importance of the sample definition, in particular regarding its structure, and on the importance of the LD evaluation on the results of association studies.