Writing this book has led me to ask many questions about the meaning of our craft as winegrowers

Before 1850, vines in Europe knew no pathogens. At most a few insects, a few badgers or roe deer coming to relish the grapes at harvest time… The succession of vine disease crises (powdery mildew, phylloxera, downy mildew…) changed everything. Our grape varieties are on borrowed time and only produce thanks to repeated treatments. Global warming adds even more complexity to the equation. It demands grape varieties that bud burst as late as possible to limit frost damage, but also varieties that retain an alcohol-acidity balance favourable to the production of quality wines. History shows that winegrowers have always adapted. But the AOC framework froze the list of grape varieties, and trials to modify varietal plantings remain timid and not yet equal to the challenges imposed by this new climate reality. What are the solutions? I do not know, and there are certainly many. But in any case, our ampelographic past reveals treasures that we would be wrong to overlook: late-ripening varieties, varieties retaining fine acidity at maturity, varieties with better disease resistance, varieties that better withstand spring frosts… We are replanting these grape varieties at Cazebonne to better understand our history and, hopefully, to offer the beginnings of answers to the challenges that lie ahead. Enjoy the read!