Have you ever picked up a bottle and paused at the grape name—something unfamiliar, slightly technical, almost unpronounceable—and wondered if it’s worth the risk? Names like Bronner or Souvignier Gris don’t yet carry the same instant recognition as Chardonnay or Riesling. But behind them lies something far more important than just another obscure variety. These are PIWI grape varieties, and they are quietly becoming one of the most relevant developments in modern wine.
Not because they are trendy, but because they answer a question the wine world can no longer ignore: how do we continue to produce wine in a way that is both sustainable and realistic for the future?
What does “PIWI” actually mean?
The term PIWI comes from the German “Pilzwiderstandsfähig”, meaning fungus-resistant. It sounds technical, but the idea is straightforward.
These are grape varieties that have been specifically bred to withstand the fungal diseases that vineyards constantly battle—primarily downy mildew and powdery mildew. Anyone who has spent time in vineyards, especially in humid or cooler climates, knows how relentless these pressures can be. Traditional grape varieties, for all their elegance, are fragile in this respect. They require regular treatments, often throughout the growing season, just to survive.
PIWI grapes offer a different starting point. Instead of reacting to disease, they are built to resist it.
Why PIWI grapes matter more than ever
To understand why PIWI grape varieties are gaining attention, you need to look beyond the glass and into the vineyard.
Viticulture, perhaps surprisingly, is one of the most treatment-intensive forms of agriculture in Europe. Data from Eurostat shows that vineyards use more pesticides per hectare than most other crops. This is not due to negligence, but necessity—Vitis vinifera, the species behind all classic wine grapes, is naturally susceptible to disease.
For decades, this has been accepted as part of the process. But that acceptance is shifting. Environmental concerns, stricter regulations, and the economic reality of repeated vineyard treatments are pushing producers to rethink the system.
This is where PIWI varieties step in—not as a radical disruption, but as a practical evolution. By significantly reducing the need for chemical intervention, they make sustainable and organic viticulture more achievable, not just idealistic. In some cases, the number of treatments can drop dramatically, changing both the ecological and economic balance of winegrowing.
How PIWI grape varieties are created
There is often hesitation when people first hear about PIWI grapes, usually rooted in a misunderstanding: are these genetically modified? They are not.
PIWI grape varieties are developed through cross-breeding, a process that has existed in agriculture for centuries. Breeders take Vitis vinifera, valued for its flavour and wine quality, and cross it with other vine species—often American or Asian—that have natural resistance to disease.
The intention is not to reinvent wine, but to preserve what already works while strengthening what doesn’t. The process is long, often taking decades of trials, selection, and refinement before a new variety is considered viable. What emerges is a grape that behaves differently in the vineyard, but still aims to deliver a familiar experience in the glass.
Where can you find PIWI wines today?
PIWI vineyards and their spread across Europe
Although they may feel new from a consumer perspective, PIWI varieties are already well established in several parts of Europe. Germany has been at the forefront, particularly around Freiburg, where the Freiburg State Institute of Viticulture has been focusing on the cultivation of new fungus-resistant grape varieties and have spent decades developing and refining these grapes. Switzerland and Austria have also embraced them, often driven by a strong focus on sustainability and innovation.
What is especially telling, however, is where PIWI varieties are expanding fastest. In Central and Northern Europe—countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and even Denmark—these grapes are not just an experiment, but a solution. As climate conditions become more unpredictable, resilience in the vineyard is no longer optional.
Even traditionally strict regions are beginning to adapt. The approval of PIWI varieties like Voltis in Champagne signals a subtle but important shift: the conversation is changing.
Getting to know PIWI grape varieties
A closer look at some key PIWI grape varieties
The PIWI International website now counts more than 100 grape varieties at the moment so it would be easy to get lost in names and crossings. But a few stand out, not just for their success in the vineyard, but for their growing presence in the glass.
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.
What do PIWI wines actually taste like?
This is where curiosity often turns into hesitation. New grape varieties inevitably raise the question—will it taste “different”?
The answer is nuanced. Early PIWI wines sometimes carried a distinct character that set them apart, occasionally lacking the refinement or structure expected from classic varieties. But that gap has been steadily closing.
Today, many PIWI wines are remarkably aligned with traditional styles. Whites can range from crisp and mineral to round and textured, often echoing the profiles of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, or Chardonnay. The aromatics can be slightly more pronounced, sometimes more expressive in their youth, but increasingly well-balanced.
Red PIWI varieties are still evolving, both in perception and in practice. Some already show promising structure and depth, though this remains an area where development is ongoing.
In the best examples, what stands out is not that they are different—but that they are increasingly indistinguishable unless you know what to look for.
Are PIWI grapes the future of wine?
It would be too simplistic to say that PIWI varieties will replace traditional grapes. Wine is, after all, deeply tied to history, identity, and place. But it would be equally unrealistic to ignore the pressures shaping the industry today.
Climate change, environmental expectations, and the economics of farming are all pushing in the same direction. Producers are being asked to do more—with fewer resources, less intervention, and greater responsibility.
PIWI varieties offer a way to respond without abandoning quality. They sit in a space that feels increasingly relevant: not a break from tradition, but an adaptation of it.
Conclusion
There is a moment, when standing in front of a shelf or scanning a wine list, where the unfamiliar feels like a risk. But that hesitation is often where the most interesting discoveries begin. PIWI wines are still finding their place, both in the market and in the minds of consumers. But they represent something quietly significant—a shift in how wine can be grown, and perhaps, how it can evolve.
So the next time you see a name you don’t recognise, it might be worth taking that step, some of them may can surprise you! Let’s be open minded and give a new wine a go!
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