Articles
Preservation of the intra-varietal diversity of Chenin: creation of a new international conservatory
Article number
1430_3
Pages
13 – 18
Language
English
Abstract
Chenin blanc is an emblematic grape variety of the Loire Valley and other wine regions in the world.
Maintaining this variety in all its diversity is a major stake for viticulture, from a heritage point of view and with the objective of adapting to future production conditions.
To bring together and preserve this genetic and phenotypic diversity, the creation of a new conservatory in Chenin is underway at the experimental domain of the Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin in Montreuil-Bellay (France). This new conservatory is based on the historic conservatory of the estate, comprising 307 origins of Chenin, and on a new international prospection of old vines carried out by the IFV and its partners.
Since 2016, 350 strains have been taken from 34 old plots in the Loire Valley.
In addition to these surveys, 14 accessions were taken from a former Chenin conservatory in Aveyron, as well as 307 accessions present in the historic Montreuil-Bellay conservatory.
The strains free from the main virus diseases were grafted and placed in the new conservatory in Chenin, representing 473 different accessions of Chenin.
In 2019, surveys carried out in South Africa made it possible to mark 97 strains on about 20 plots in the vineyards around Stellenbosch.
Healthy plant material will enrich the new Montreuil-Bellay conservatory and bring the number of different individuals from Chenin to more than 500. This new Chenin conservatory, unique in the world due to its diversity, will be enriched from time to time according to new discoveries of old vines in France or abroad.
This genetic and phenotypic reservoir could serve as a support for new selections of individuals reflecting the diversity of agronomic behaviours of Chenin blanc.
Maintaining this variety in all its diversity is a major stake for viticulture, from a heritage point of view and with the objective of adapting to future production conditions.
To bring together and preserve this genetic and phenotypic diversity, the creation of a new conservatory in Chenin is underway at the experimental domain of the Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin in Montreuil-Bellay (France). This new conservatory is based on the historic conservatory of the estate, comprising 307 origins of Chenin, and on a new international prospection of old vines carried out by the IFV and its partners.
Since 2016, 350 strains have been taken from 34 old plots in the Loire Valley.
In addition to these surveys, 14 accessions were taken from a former Chenin conservatory in Aveyron, as well as 307 accessions present in the historic Montreuil-Bellay conservatory.
The strains free from the main virus diseases were grafted and placed in the new conservatory in Chenin, representing 473 different accessions of Chenin.
In 2019, surveys carried out in South Africa made it possible to mark 97 strains on about 20 plots in the vineyards around Stellenbosch.
Healthy plant material will enrich the new Montreuil-Bellay conservatory and bring the number of different individuals from Chenin to more than 500. This new Chenin conservatory, unique in the world due to its diversity, will be enriched from time to time according to new discoveries of old vines in France or abroad.
This genetic and phenotypic reservoir could serve as a support for new selections of individuals reflecting the diversity of agronomic behaviours of Chenin blanc.
Authors
V. Grondain, E. Goulet, L. Audeguin, T. Lacombe, J.-M. Boursiquot
Keywords
Chenin, intra-varietal diversity, old vines, conservatory
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