Ancient DNA reveals 4000 years of grapevine diversity, viticulture and clonal propagation in France
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Wine production has deep historical roots in France, yet the biological foundations of early viticulture remain elusive. We report genome-wide ancient DNA data from 49 archaeological grape pips spanning ~4000 years, from the Bronze Age to the Medieval period, primarily focusing on France. Population genetic analyses reveal the genetic makeup of wild local grapevines in the Bronze Age and the early use of domesticated grapevines by ~625-500 BCE. Roman-era genomes reflect long-distance exchange from Iberian, Balkan, Levantine, and Caucasian domesticated varieties. Vegetative propagation, evidenced by genetically identical clones across sites and centuries, emerged by the mid-Iron Age and became a pillar of viticultural practice. Remarkably, one Medieval sample from Valenciennes is genetically identical to modern ‘Pinot Noir’, demonstrating clonal continuity over nearly 600 years. This study traces the introduction, integration and spread of diverse grapevine ancestries that have contributed to shape the varietal landscape of French viticulture. Here, the authors present aDNA from 49 grape pips spanning the Bronze Age to Medieval period in France and surrounding areas. They find evidence of long-distance exchange of domestic varieties through vegetative clones and one Medieval sample that is nearly identical to modern Pinot Noir.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Rémi Noraz, Lorelei Chauvey, Stefanie Wagner, Oscar Estrada, Nathan Wales, Emmanuelle Bonnaire, Manon Cabanis, Marie Derreumaux, Isabel Figueiral, Charlotte Hallavant, Philippe Marinval, Véronique Matterne, Jérôme Ros, Nuria Rovira, Margaux Tillier, Marilyne Bovagne, Jean Chausserie-Laprée, Clément Nicolas, Isabelle Daveau, David Delassus, Eric Gailledrat, Olivier Ginouvez, Bertrand Houix, Cécile Jung, Philippe Kuchler, Laure Leroux, Raphaël Macario, Elise Marlière, Michel Pasqualini, Gaël Piques, Hervé Pomaredes, Justine Robert, Cédric Roms, Muriel Roth-Zehner, Maxime Scrinzi, Maryanick Taras-Thomas, Josep Torres Costa, Guillaume Besnard, Jean-Frédéric Terral, Roberto Bacilieri, Laurent Bouby, Ludovic Orlando
Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université de Montpellier, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse, Université de Bordeaux, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, UMR BIOdiversity, GEnes & Communities, Archéozoologie et Archéobotanique, Université Clermont Auvergne, Laboratoire de Géographie Physique et Environnementale, Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives, Université de Limoges, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Archéologie des Sociétés Méditerranéennes, Ipso Facto (France), Ministère de la Culture, Université Paris Nanterre, Archéologies et Sciences de l’Antiquité, Maison des Sciences de l'Homme Mondes, Université Côte d'Azur, Cultures et Environnements. Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen Âge, Archéologie et Histoire Ancienne : Méditerranée – Europe, Université de Strasbourg, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Institut Agro Montpellier, Amélioration Génétique et Adaptation des Plantes méditerranéennes et tropicales
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Awards: Modelling Interactions between Climate Change and Agriculture in the Ancient West, History, origin and spread of Agriculture: new evidences from Archaebotany and Paleogenomics, Grapes and wines in France from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. Integrated approach in archeosciences, Framing the Impact of Socio-Economical changes on medieval Mediterranean Agriculture
OpenAlex ID: W7140200552