Novelties in the Vineyard

This blog is going to be technical, scientific and for some … a bit ho-hum. But I am a nerd when it comes to science-backed, wine-related material, so here goes.

There are exciting developments in the vineyard that will impact your wine.

What is Old is New Again

Have you ever wondered how to start or expand a vineyard? Where does the planting material (vines and rootstocks) come from? In order to propagate a vineyard, you have two choices: clonal or massal selection.

Clonal selection is how most vineyards plant or replant today. This method, popularized in the 1960’s and 1970’s, involves taking cuttings from “mother vines”. These parent vines are selected because they stand out in the vineyard; they produce good yields and offer other desired characteristics. The cuttings are essentially identical to the parent vine. Once propagated (rooted and grown in a nursery), they are registered as clones and given a number, for example Pinot Noir Cl 115 or Pinot Noir Cl 777. Clones are then exported and sold worldwide (though propagation can also take place at domestic or local nurseries).

Problems arose in the past when parent vines carried undetected viruses that were consequently spread to all major wine growing regions through the import of propagated cuttings. That has now been controlled to some extent by technology developed at UC Davis to heat treat imported vine cuttings in order to “clean” them. Detecting diseased cuttings is the first step and labs such as the one at CCOVI Brock University (Niagara/Canada) offers a virus testing service. The most important control of grape viruses is the use of clean plant material for propagation.

Another issue with clonal selection is too much homogeneity – with growers and wineries using the same clones in most wine growing regions of the world – resulting in wines that have become too similar.

Thus, winemakers eager to showcase the uniqueness and individuality of their wines have been returning to massal selection, the “old way” of propagating vineyards. It has regained favour because it also offers significant potential for high quality wine.

Given enough time, vines in a vineyard mutate and cross with one another (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon, a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc) creating genetically diverse material. This genetic diversity has the benefit of reducing diseases and handling climate change better while also reflecting a more authentic terroir.

Massal selection is the practice of taking cuttings from exceptional old vines from the same (or nearby) vineyard. It involves careful selection and propagation from a diverse group of healthy, high-quality, and genetically distinct parent plants. A new vineyard planted with these cuttings will be similar in character to the old one, though hopefully superior with respect to the selected attributes (e.g., disease resistance, flavour complexity, or suitability to the terroir).

Did you know? The following producers all make use of massal selection for their vineyards: Champagne House Louis Roederer, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (Bourgogne), Clos des Papes & Château Rayas (Châteauneuf-du-Pape), and Ridge Vineyards (California) … to name a few.

What is New is Really New

New genetic engineering (NGT) such as the Crispr/Cas9 (or gene scissors) is coming to the world of wine.

The promise of new genetic engineering methods could help to develop more climate and pest-resistant vines that require fewer pesticides and fertilisers.

The wine world is now one step closer due to the recent vote by the EU Environment Committee allowing two different categories of genetically modified plants, including grape varieties. NGT-1 category can now to be treated in the same way as conventionally bred plants (controlled clonal selection) in terms of risk assessment and authorisation (thus exempt from the strict requirements of the Genetic Engineering Ordinance, GMO). Plants and vines in the NGT-2 category would continue to be subject to the requirements of GMO legislation, including mandatory labelling of products.

A prerequisite for NGT-1 is that no foreign genes are inserted into new grape varieties and that a defined number of genetic modifications is not exceeded. The EU Environment Committee also stipulated that all NGT-1 vines should remain prohibited for organic production at this time (requiring further research).

Professor Dr Kai Voss-Fels, Head of Vine Breeding at Hochschule Geisenheim University, has been using NGT or gene editing with various grape varieties. Currently all results are based on laboratory work as field trials have not yet been allowed.

Unlike genetic modifications of the past where genes from other organisms are used to “implant” desired characteristics, NGT can target specific traits in order to enhance or switch them off by directly modifying the genetic material of the vine. Dr. Kai Voss-Fels can cut portions of vine DNA and remove it or move it elsewhere. Moreover, vine characteristics such as loose berries or lower must weight with a lower alcohol yield can be promoted without having to wait for a random natural mutation to occur or cross breeding for the desired characteristics. Those can take a very long time to achieve. According to Dr. Kai Voss-Fels, NGT only accelerates classic mutation breeding.

Similar but Different

Some Italian wine regions have come on board with PIWI hybrid grapes.

These grape varieties were created through several stages of controlled crossing and contain a high percentage of Vitis vinifera with just enough disease-resistant American Vitis to give good resistance to fungal diseases.

Italian winegrowers recently founded the national association PIWI Italia (February 2024), based at the Edmund Mach Foundation in San Michele all’Adige (Trentino). More than 250 Italian producers now belong to it. Italy has authorised resistant varieties only at the regional level. There are currently 36 resistant varieties registered in the national grape variety register. PIWI varieties have been planted in Veneto, Trentino, South Tyrol, Lombardy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo, Lazio and Campania.

Learn more – PIWI International

This year at the ProWein trade show in Düsseldorf (March 10-12, 2024), the German Wine Institute (DWI) will be showcasing wines made from PIWI grape varieties. A total of 20 white, red and rosé wines will be available for tasting with the motto of Grapes For the Future. According to DWI interest in and acceptance of innovative grape varieties is increasing. Germany is a leader in breeding these varieties.

Final Thoughts

Well, there you go … something old is being revived, something new is being tried.

How that will impact wine in the coming years is still to be seen. But the effects of disease and climate change in vineyards around the globe are an on-going concern to grape growers and winemakers. Consequently, they are seriously looking at methods such as massal selection and propagating ancient varieties that have coped with many climate changes, as well as new technologies.

How open are you to wine made with new varieties and new technologies?

Cheers!