Four new resistant grape varieties get the green light in France

n order published in the Official Journal on August 15 updates the list of authorised wine cultivars by including four new varieties produced by VCR nurseries for a ten-year period, which have already been authorised and planted in the rest of Europe. Two of them are white – Kersus and Pinot Iskra. The first one boasts very good resistance to downy mildew and good resistance to powdery mildew; it is also less prone to black rot than Pinot Blanc. The variety produces wines similar in style to Chardonnay with some Pinot Gris notes.

Pinot Iskra boasts very good resistance to both downy and powdery mildew and is also less prone to black rot than Pinot Blanc. It is suitable for producing sparkling or highly perfumed wines.

Two red varieties have also been listed: Pinot Kors has the same resistance as Pinot Iskra but is fairly prone to grapevine blister. “Pinot Iskra and Pinot Kors are the two varieties that stand out the most, both for their resistance and for their aroma and flavour profiles and productivity”, claims Loïc Breton, managing director of VCR France. Pinot Kors ripens 10 days after Pinot Noir and displays intense aromas of red fruits and cherries, silky tannins and slightly higher colour intensity than Pinot.

The last variety on the list is Volturnis, which is very resistant to downy mildew but not powdery mildew. It has very good productivity and its wines deliver intense aromas of ripe red fruits. Their high anthocyanin content lends them good ageability.