What were the most popular grape varieties in ancient times? Did they look like the ones we grow today?
An international consortium involving INRA, CNRS and the University of Montpellier1, has just offered a new perspective on viticulture in Roman and medieval times. The researchers sequenced the DNA of 28 seeds found in archaeological sites in France, then compared their genome to that of modern grape varieties. They found the white Savagnin, a popular grape variety in the Jura, in an archaeological site dating back to the Middle Ages, near Orléans. They have also established kinship ties between varieties such as Pinot Noir and Syrah and Roman varieties. This research shows that Roman winegrowers propagated their grape varieties by cutting across large areas.
This research, published on June 10, 2019 in Nature Plants, opens the way to a true genealogy of grape varieties and offers new perspectives on the characteristics of old wines.