Ancient grape varieties: a "solution" to global warming?

Their names are Tressot, Arbane, Troyens, Sacy, Peurion… They have disappeared, or almost (a little Sacy can still be found in the Yonne ) of the Burgundy vineyards where they nevertheless had their place in the 18th century; a multitude of grape varieties were then commonly cultivated in the region and it was only within the framework of post- replanting phylloxéra that Burgundy has almost specialized in the pinot noir , THE chardonnay and to a lesser degree the aligoté and the gamay As part of a project launched in 2012 by the Group for the Study and Monitoring of Terroirs (GEST), a conservatory has been dedicated to them on the heights of Beaune Since 2016, forty-four grape varieties have already been planted (more are to come) on about twenty ares, and from 2020 onwards, they will be monitored and "compared" in the same place with "control" vines of pinot noir and chardonnay The goal is, in particular, to test their "resistance" to heat and their ability to retain acidity in these extreme vintages. "We still have time to experiment with different approaches to offer our children solutions in the future if global warming worsens, but we need to start today," says Jean-Claude Rateau, a winemaker in Beaune and former president of GEST. It should be noted that different rootstocks are also being tested, which, depending on their vigor and earliness, could also provide solutions to climate change.

Christophe TUPINIER

Publishing Director