Today’s Pinot Noir is genetically identical to the medieval one • Food and Wine Italy

We are used to observing a continuous evolution made up of adaptations, crossbreeding and changes sopra food and wine. Three factors which sopra wine (and more generally sopra the world of vegetables) are incredibly changeable. Yet there is a pleasant exception: Pinot Noir. Research published sopra Nature shows that the genetic continuity of this grape is incredibly marked.

A seed from the Middle Ages reveals the genetic continuity of the vine

The starting point is a discovery sopra northern France, sopra Valenciennes, near the border with Belgium. During an excavation, a grape seed dated to around six hundred years indicatore was identified inside a well. Genetic analysis showed that that seed is practically identical to the modern one Pinot tenebrosoone of the most widespread varieties sopra the world.

The objective of the research was to reconstruct the history of the vine sopra Western Europe through the analysis of ancient DNA, extracted from seeds coming from different archaeological contexts: the result is a chronology covering approximately 4,000 years. The researchers analyzed fifty-four grape seeds, dating from the second millennium BC to the Middle Ages. Despite the difficulties related to the conservation of genetic material, technologies have made comparison with contemporary varieties possible.

The most evident result concerns the genetic stability of some grapes. The case of Pinot Noir indicates that certain varieties have been preserved over time without significant variations. But how was such a sense of species conservation possible? Unlike many crops, the vine is not normally reproduced by seed when intended for wine production. Instead, the cutting is used, i.e. a portion of the mother plant that is allowed to take root to generate a new genetically identical individual. This method allows the characteristics of a variety to be kept unchanged, avoiding the variability introduced by sexual reproduction.

According to the study, practices of this type were already widespread sopra Roman times, between 2,000 and 2,500 years indicatore. The medieval Pinot Noir seed therefore represents a direct confirmation of an agricultural technique consolidated for centuries, which has allowed the faithful transmission of some varieties up to the present day.

If you further back sopra time, the picture changes. The oldest seeds show greater genetic diversity, a sign that sopra the past crosses between different plants were also used. This selection process allowed the identification of new favorable combinations, which were then stabilized through clonal propagation.

The research also highlights an intense circulation of plant material between different regions. Trade routes and contacts, particularly sopra the Mediterranean basin, have contributed to the spread of varieties and the construction of the European viticultural heritage.

Over the centuries, a progressive transition can thus be observed: from an initial phase characterized by experimentation and variability to one more oriented towards standardization. With the increase sopra the economic importance of wine, the need to guarantee production continuity and recognisability of the grapes becomes central, just like today.

Many of these principles are still valid. The selection of varieties, propagation by cuttings and the exchange of plant material remain fundamental elements of contemporary viticulture. The seed found sopra Valenciennes therefore functions as a material indicator of this continuity: it shows that the history of Pinot Noir is not just that of a grape variety, but that of a technique that has allowed it to preserve its identity over time.