Have you ever heard about PIWI wines? Then keep reading because it looks like it could be the next big thing in the wine industry! PIWI wines made out of grapes that have been created or developed to be fungus-resistant.
But why do we need grape varieties that they are resistant of fungal diseases?
Because nowadays we are aiming a more sustainable and pesticide free agriculture and according to analyses by the statistical office of the EU (EuroStat), the use of pesticides per hectare and year in winegrowing is by far the highest compared to all other agricultural products produced in the European Union. These grape varieties however are not meant to replace the traditional ones, they should only complement them in the vineyards!
And how they have been developed?
They originally made crossroads between Vitis vinifera and other species of the genus Vitis, most commonly the American species, as they are very resistant of different diseases. In this way, the V. Vinifera will bring the noble aromas that we are already used to and crossed with a highly disease-resistant American or other Vitis. Specific cultivation and selection aim at developing new innovative grape varieties that make winegrowing more sustainable and meet the future challenges in the vineyard.
Are you wondering where you can find them?
They are already widespread in Germany, specially in the regions of Rheinhessen, Franconia and Palatinate, and we can find a great deal in Italy, Switzerland and Austria too. But there are more and more plantings in Central Europe as well, such as Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and even further north in Denmark. The Freiburg State Institute of Viticulture in Germany has been focusing on the cultivation of new fungus-resistant grape varieties for years now which mean we can expect to see new varieties coming to the market soon.
Today, several PIWI grapes are allowed in traditional wine regions, such as the Voltis in Champagne, however, the PIWI International website now counts more than 100 grape varieties at the moment. I would like to share a couple of them to look out for in the future:
Baron: red variety, a crossing between Cabernet Sauvignon x(Merzling x(Zarya Severa x St. Laurent)). The hybrid was crossed in 1983 by Norbert Becker at the Institute of Viticulture in Freiburg (Germany). It produces colour-intensive, tannin-rich red wines. It is cultivated in small quantities in the Baden region (1 ha) and in the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen (0.1 ha).
Hibernal: white grape variety between (Seibel 7053 = Chancellor x Riesling) x (Seibel 7053 x Riesling). It contains genes from Vitis labrusca, Vitis lincecumii, Vitis rupestris and Vitis vinifera. It produces fresh, fruity white wines and in 2018 the variety occupied 3 hectares of vineyards in Germany, 19 hectares in Moldova and 1 hectare in Canada.
Bianca: white grape variety, it is an interspecific new variety between Eger 2 (Villard Blanc) x Bouvier. The hybrid was crossed in Hungary in 1963 and it was a crossing partner of the new varieties Backa, Cabernet Volos, Rubinka, Sauvignon Nepis and Sauvignon Rytos. It yields a flowery, neutral white wines with moderate alcohol content. It is a widely planted variety in Hungary, but mainly grown in the Kunság area and occupies a total of 4,898 hectares of vineyards. There are other stocks in Russia (1,513 ha), Moldova (1,340 ha), Romania (13 ha) and Switzerland (2 ha).
Bronner: white grape variety, the crossing was done in 1975 by Norbert Becker at the State Viticulture Institute in Freiburg. It produces full-bodied, fruity white wines with aromas of ripe apples and a slightly bitter aftertaste similar to Pinot blanc. It is cultivated in Belgium, Germany (4 ha), Italy (2 ha), Austria and Switzerland (1 ha). In 2016, a total of six hectares of vineyard area were designated.
And I could go on and on but I just wanted to show that their characteristics are often similar to a well-known variety and they have sometimes significant plantings in various countries. So if you see one on the shelves in the wine store, don’t be scared to try something new, some of them may can surprise you! Let’s be open minded and give a new wine a go!
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