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Grape seeds used in wine production, found in archaeological sites all over Europe, have been genetically tested and tell a story of continuity from ancient Rome to the present day. It seems that the wine drunk by the Romans, which occurred in the Middle Ages and until modernity, was produced with grape varieties very similar to those used today. Such has been the continuity of use of vines throughout the ages.
The aim of the research was to understand the viticultural origins of winemaking in France, which has been baffling people for many years. In addition to revealing the history of grape varieties, it also provides data showing that the wine industry could be vulnerable due to climate change.
The study involved a large multidisciplinary team of researchers from several European countries, including Britain, Denmark, France and Germany. It was funded by a Danish and French research agency. The researchers sought to understand the genomes of ancient grapes. Their results were published in the academic journal Plants Nature.
Compare the old grape DNA with the new
The researchers used a large database containing information on the genomes of many modern grapes used in winemaking. These have been compared to the genetics of grape seeds found in a number of archaeological sites. According to Technology News, "the researchers were able to test and compare 28 archaeological seeds from French sites dating back to the Iron Age, in Roman and medieval times". In the recent past, DNA tests were used to study the pedigree of grapes grown in modern vineyards. However, according to Decanter.com, "there are several blanks in the jigsaw of modern varieties".
Roman grapes peeved with water like these have been genetically tested to study grape varieties in the past. Credit: L. Bouby, CNRS / ISEM
European researchers who worked separately but worked closely used the same DNA techniques that were used to identify the ancestry of modern humans. Phys.org reports that the experts were able to establish "genetic links between seeds of different archaeological sites".
Then, by comparing genomes, they could establish the relationship between ancient seeds and modern vine varieties.
The Roman connection
The researchers "discovered that archaeological samples were closely related to Western cultivars used today for winemaking," according to Nature Plants. The multidisciplinary team was able to find genetic traces indicating that the Roman and subsequent grapes were related. According to Phys.org, "18 separate genetic signatures, including a set of genetically identical seeds from two Roman sites", were established from the seeds.
These two Roman sites were 600 km apart and date back two millennia. They also have an interesting link with many grapes still grown in French alpine vineyards. This indicates a great continuity in the spread of grapes in Western Europe since the Roman era. This was mainly due to the skills of the vine growers in terms of asexual reproduction and the use of wine cuttings, which preserved the genetic signatures of the grapes.
Bacchus, Roman god of agriculture, wine and fertility by Peter Paul Rubens. ( Public domain )
The latest research has identified the links between Roman wine and modern wine. Due to the writings of classical authors such as Pliny the Elder, we know the name of many Roman wines. Dr. Jazmín Ramos-Madrigal, one of the co-authors of the study, said: "We now have the opportunity to use genetics to know exactly what the Romans cultivated in their vineyards," Technology News reports.
Dr. Nathan Wales, a member of York University's research team, said that "the Syrah-Mondeuse Blanche family and the Pinot-Savagnin family" can trace their origins back to Roman vineyards, according to Phys.org. This means that the inhabitants of the Roman Empire developed a wine similar to ours and that it had the same taste. However, it seems that tastes have changed and that some popular grapes in the past are no longer so.
Although the study established a relationship between Roman seeds and modern grapes, they were not directly related. However, researchers were able to establish a close genetic match between a medieval seed from a vineyard in Orleans (France) and the grapes used for the production of Savagnin Blanc. It is a wine that is not very popular, but it is still produced and is often known as Traminer Weiss.
It has been discovered that an old grape seed of the white savagnin has a direct relationship with the modern variety. ( CC BY-SA 4.0 )
The threat of global warming
The genetic heritage of many modern vines shows great continuity in the past. This means that there is a lack of genetic diversity and that this could be problematic, and even pose an existential risk for winemaking in the future, especially as our climate warms up. Global warming and extreme weather events could pose a real threat to winemaking in the future, as they could destroy entire crops and the types of vines could disappear.
This study and others show that it is necessary to develop new strains of more resilient grapes. National Public Radio cites Zoë Migicovsky, a Canadian postdoctoral researcher, who studies the resilience of wine, saying "you need to adopt a stronger grape". This is the only way to help growers survive, but it could cost them the loss of beloved finger foods like Merlot and Pinot-Grigio.
The study is important because it allows us to better understand the evolution of winemaking. It also shows how much wine lovers owe their favorite drink to the Romans. Research also indicates that there is a dangerous lack of genetic diversity in grapes and that this could make them vulnerable to changes in the environment.
Top image: Sources of grape DNA in Europe had been associated with ancient Roman seeds. Source: Paul Grecaud / Adobe Stock
By Ed Whelan
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