Transferring storied Vassal vine collection will take 10 years and €5 million

The decision to leave the Vassal location in Marseillan-Plage was a very difficult one. This sandy site on the coast, separating the Etang de Thau from the Mediterranean, prevented the spread of phylloxera and other diseases such as grapevine fanleaf virus on plant material. However, we were forced to take action due to the growing risk of submersion and salinisation for our 8,500 accessions from 54 countries”, explained Philippe Mauguin, managing director of the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), on 31 August at the Pech Rouge experimental vineyard and winery facilities in southern France.

The project, which has been in the pipeline since the 2000s, came up against a number of hurdles until the 163 hectares of land owned by Inrae in Gruissan were selected at the end of 2012. After two State-Region plans and a total budget of 5.1 million euros, half of which was funded by the Occitanie regional council, the Aude departmental council, the Greater Narbonne agglomeration authorities and the village of Gruissan, transfer work can finally begin in the hillsides of La Clape. The process is due to be completed by 2032.

All the vines transferred to Pech Rouge will be duplicated and put in safe storage in a large greenhouse built near the research and teaching staff at the Montpellier Agro Institute.