Official inauguration of the transfer of the Vine collection hosted by the Vassal Experimental Unit

Three scientists from the UMR Agap Institut, Philippe Chatelet (INRAE), Thierre Lacombe (Agro Institut) and Patrice This (INRAE) were present at the official inauguration of the transfer of the Vassal grapevine collection to the Pech Rouge experimental unit.

The launch was orchestrated by Philippe Mauguin, CEO of INRAE on 31 August 2022, alongside Thierry Bonnier, Prefect of the Aude department, Didier Codorniou, Mayor of Gruissan, First Vice-President of the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region, Hélène Sandragné, President of the Aude Departmental Council,  Didier Mouly, President of the Greater Narbonne Agglomeration Community  and Sophie Béjean, Rector of the Montpellier and Occitanie Academic Region.

The Vassal grapevine collection represents a heritage which is unique worldwide. In front of the challenges posed by climate change and the agro-ecological transition, it constitutes an essential resource for varietal improvement and an unprecedented scientific resource.

This transfer project aims to protect the collection and enhance its value through its integration into a coherent research and experimentation complex "from gene to bottle" on the Pech Rouge site. It will be running until 2032 and is supported by the French State, the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region, the Aude Departmental Council, the Greater Narbonne Agglomeration Community and the Gruissan municipality .

The collection of Pech Rouge vines will be considerably enriched in the coming years. © La dépêche, 2022

Read more

https://www.inrae.fr/actualites/transfert-collection-vignes-vassal-lancement-operations

Published: 26/09/2022