We continue to shine a light on the passion, quality and depth that old vine heritage brings to every region and country that celebrates it. In this respect, you can highlight any extraordinary producer working with old vineyards in this way. They can be famous or cult or even unheard of - if they’re doing great work, then bring them in.

Hosted by Tim Atkin MW and Sarah Abbott MW.

Speakers

09:00-09:45

Dr. Dylan Grigg, Old vine researcher and founder at Meristem Viticulture - Australia

Mythbusting and mysteries: the effect of vine age on yield, wine quality and epigentic adaptation.

Australian Dylan Grigg has been involved in viticulture for more than 20 years. Through his consulting company, Meristem Viticulture, he has worked with large and small businesses in Australia and beyond. For The Old Vine Conference Dylan will discuss his doctoral thesis on the influence of grapevine age on vine growth and wine quality. Dylan’s findings challenge the convention that old vines equal uneconomically low yields. His findings on epigenetics suggest that old vines are a vital source of genetic robustness for the future of wine. He believes that further research is essential.

Link to Dylan’s thesis: https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/handle/2440/113314

10:00-10:45

Dr. Laura Catena, Catena Zapata - Argentina

Old vines for new vineyards

A dedicated but unsentimental advocate for viticultural heritage, Laura Catena discusses the challenges and rewards of Argentina’s old vine Malbec. Keenly aware of the cultural and qualitative value of ancient vineyards, Laura is leading projects to preserve and amplify their genetic material though new vineyards planted from old vine material. “We do not yet know”, she says, “how this genetic material could be the answer to the climate change and diseases of the future. But we do know that we shouldn’t let it disappear.”

BIO

Dr. Laura Catena is a fourth generation Argentine vintner, physician and author. Catena was born in Mendoza and spent her childhood with her grandfather Domingo at the family's winery in the small village of La Libertad. Laura graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1988 and has a Medical Doctor degree from Stanford University. In 1995 Laura joined her father Nicolás Catena Zapata at the family winery and founded the Catena Institute of Wine with the vision of making Argentine wines that could stand with the best of the world.

She is currently managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata and works closely with Alejandro Vigil and Luis Reginato to make the vineyard selections and blends for the family's wines. Laura is also founder of her own Luca Winery in Mendoza, Argentina, as well as a practicing part-time physician of Emergency Medicine in San Francisco. Laura splits her time between Mendoza, Argentina and San Francisco, California.

https://catenazapata.com/laura-catena.php

11:00-11:45

Brigitte Chevalier, owner and winemaker at Domaine de Cébène - France

The humanity of old vines in Languedoc

Domaine de Cébène is an 11-hectare estate in the Languedoc, founded by the winemaker Brigitte Chevalier. In 2007, after a career in wine export sales, she bought some old vines planted at 300 metres on the schist rock of the Faugères appellation area. Her organic, terroir-driven wines made from these north-facing vineyards have been widely and positively reviewed, and today they are a sought-after reference. 

In 2013 Brigitte launched Parrainez un Cep (Adopt a Vine), a project encouraging wine lovers to sponsor some of Domaine de Cébène's oldest vines and thus contribute to the preservation of this natural heritage while raising awareness and promoting its value within the environmental and ecological context. In the same year she was awarded the Vincoeurs prize by the Département de l'Hérault, in recognition of the ambitious and innovative nature of the project. 

Brigitte's ancient Carignan vines have adapted remarkably well to the changing climate of the south of France, and bear witness to the efforts of the generations of growers who have tended them over the 60+ years since they were planted. They are used to create Belle Lurette (meaning 'many moons ago'), a wine which ably demonstrates the important role that older vines can play in winemaking today. 

Domaine de Cébène is a founding sponsor of The Old Vine Conference. The owner and winemaker, Brigitte Chevalier, moved from a first career in wine exports when she was able to buy (after much searching) a small plot of ancient Carignan planted on and adapted to schist. She has been a resolute champion of indigenous old vine plantings in Faugères, which she sees as part of the priceless patrimony of a region under constant pressure to adopt the latest wine trend. Her experience with old vine adoption schemes show one approach to making this patrimony resonate with consumers. “These days, so many of the vine adopters are young people”, she says, “they seek me out.”