Viticulture is an art steeped in tradition, terroir, and let’s face it, chemicals. The sad truth is that grape growing is one of the most chemically intensive forms of agriculture on the planet, with vineyards receiving more fungicide, pesticide, and herbicide input per hectare than almost any other crop. These inputs, do help suppress disease and pests but come at a steep cost, both financially and ecologically. Soil health suffers, biodiversity declines and waterways are polluted. In the face of climate change and a growing appetite for sustainability, this model of winegrowing is increasingly becoming untenable.
But what if vines didn’t need constant chemical protection to thrive? Well as it happens the non-vinifera species of vines don’t. While Vitis vinifera, the species behind nearly all fine wines, succumbs under the pressure of diseases like downy mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot, (not to mention Pierce’s disease, and virus carrying nematodes) other Vitis species possess natural resistance to many of these threats. Vitis labrusca, riparia, rotundifolia, and others evolved in conjunction with some of the most damaging of these diseases and so developed defences that could transform viticulture.
There’s just one catch: they don’t taste all that nice when vinified. Non-vinifera grapes often carry what’s politely called a “foxy” flavour, a musky, wild, and sometimes animalistic character that isn’t welcomed by lovers of elegant Pinot Noir or noble Riesling.
This is where hybrids come in. By crossing disease-resistant American or Asian grape species with classic vinifera varieties, breeders have developed grapes that combine the best of both worlds: resilience in the vineyard and drinkability in the glass. Hybrid grapes are not a new phenomenon. The 19th and 20th centuries saw waves of innovation, from the American hybrids developed to battle phylloxera, to the French and German breeding programmes that gave us the Pilzwiderstandsfähige Rebsorten (PiWi) literally, “fungus-resistant varieties.”
Some of these hybrids have already found homes in certain wine styles and regions. Vidal Blanc is the backbone of Canadian ice wine, capable of surviving both freezing temperatures and fungal pressure. Seyval Blanc has become a staple in English sparkling wine and WineGB reports that planting of PiWis including Seyval Blanc, Solaris, Rondo, and Regent increases year on year and now stands at 10%. Yet despite these successes, widespread adoption of hybrids has lagged. Part of the issue is perception, hybrids don’t carry the same prestige or name recognition as Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon, and in markets that prize varietal labelling, that’s a tough sell.
Still, change is in the air. Breeding new hybrid varieties has always been a long, painstaking process. But now, advances in gene sequencing allow scientists to more precisely identify the disease resistance traits they’re after and so grow and bring new grape varieties to trail much quicker than in the past.
And while traditional wine markets may be slow to adapt, there’s one community that’s embracing hybrids with open arms: natural and sustainable winemakers. For these growers and vintners, avoiding inputs and considering their environmental footprint is often an intrinsic part of their philosophy. With minimal intervention, no chemical sprays, and low-sulphur winemaking, hybrids offer a way to farm in line with their values. Since natural wines often eschew strict varietal labelling anyway, the lack of name recognition becomes less of a barrier.
Names like Phoenix, Regent, Solaris, Chardonel, and Traminette are cropping up in forward-thinking vineyards. Solaris, in particular, is gaining traction in northern Europe for its ability to ripen in cooler climates, while maintaining fresh acidity and low disease susceptibility. Regent is showing promise for red wines with depth and spice, and Traminette, a relative of Gewürztraminer, is celebrated for its aromatic complexity.
It’s time to reconsider our relationship with hybrids and perhaps rebadge them “next generation” varieties as Karl Renner (see review here) likes to call them. Puligny Montrachet and Pomerol may spring to mind at the mention of Chardonnay and Merlot but let’s be honest the majority of wines labelled with these varieties are actually inexpensive wines produced by industrial viticulture. New generation hybrid varieties may never replace the pinnacle expressions of the classics but they’re certainly capable of producing delicious, high quality wines without all the nastycides.
Go on have a little adventure and give them a try.
WanderCurtis Wine 