Faugères winegrowers test Bouquet resistant grape varieties

n Friday 22 April, two winegrowers from the Faugères appellation in southern France planted 3,000 vines of 3179, a resistant variety created by Alain Bouquet which is one of the seven currently being trialled across the vineyards of Languedoc.

“We are innovating based on what farmers have been doing for aeons, and that is selecting the varieties that are best suited to our objectives and our environment through natural crossbreeding. For vines, this takes decades”, explains Jérôme Salles, who has grown wines organically in Roquessels since 2001.

“In conjunction with the producers’ organisation, we have taken part in numerous tastings organised by INRAE and the Chambers of Agriculture. Among the sustainable Bouquet varieties that are available for experimentation, we opted for those that have Grenache as a parent”, adds Salles, who is carrying out a trial on 0.24 hectares.

Like him, Jacques Chabbert has already begun the same innovative process. The two pioneering winegrowers will be joined next year by four other producers within the appellation area. The total area covered Faugères’ resistant vineyard will therefore increase to 1.2 hectares. “The involvement of these six winegrowers guarantees optimal conditions for monitoring the vines in terms of agronomy and winemaking, enabling us to assess the potential of these grape varieties on our specific schist soils, with a view to incorporating them into the appellation's production specifications”, says Marie Corbel, director of the producers’ organisation.