In France, wine producers can now plant three new white grape varieties that could be interesting from a sustainability perspective. The grapes are:
- mourvèdre blanc,
- mourvèdre gris and
- exelys.
The first two are mutations of the better-known mourvèdre noir, grown in southern France (and elsewhere, a.k.a. monastrell, mataro). The mutations do better during droughts and heat waves than mourvèdre noir and have better disease resistance. They bud late, which reduces the risk of damage from spring frosts. Their thick skin provides good protection against hail.
Exelys is a fungus-resistant hybrid that requires minimal spraying against fungal diseases. It has excellent built-in resistance to downy and powdery mildew, two difficult fungal diseases. The producer must watch out for black rot, though.
Read more: vitisphere
