Not the same old grapes
This is a story that rings both sides of my chimes.
The problem: wine growing seasons are getting hotter and fungal and other diseases are having devastating effects on harvests.
Till now the solution has been to use chemicals including “organic” copper and sulfur that aren’t exactly great for soils and water sources.
Nicola Biasi in his high-altitude vinyeard planted to the resistant hybrid Johanniter. Photo @ Robert Camuto
One solution is the growing movement towards new resistant hybrid vines. It’s a brave new world because these hybrids crossing traditional varieties with American or Asian rootstock — don’t taste like their main components. They are different.
But wait a minute… I like my old wine varieties. With hundreds out there do we really need more?
In this week’s Robert Camuto Meets…. at winespectator.com, I talk with a Pied Piper of these so-called resistant varieties in Northern Italy’s Trentino, and discuss what could be the future of organic viticulture.