Grapes plus humans equals wine. It’s a simple equation that’s proven consistently true across cultures dating back millennia. While the earliest archaeological evidence of intentional fermentation occurred at least 8,000 years ago, Bronze Age societies don’t appear to have started consistent cultivation practices for another 2,000 years. But thanks to the remarkable resiliency of seeds, researchers are gaining a better understanding of not only winemaking’s history, but the history of cultural interactions, influence, and trade. Their most recent findings, published today in the journal Nature Communications, showcase the trajectory of grapevine breeding and domestication strategies in Europe stretching back to 2,000 BCE.
The new data comes from 54 archaeological grape seed samples, including 47 from France and another two from Ibiza near Spain. France may seem like an on-the-nose choice for wine studies, but there are good reasons for it.
“France provides an ideal setting for exploring ancient grape genetic relationships to wild populations and modern varieties,” the study’s authors wrote. Additionally, “its geographical position is key to examine the long-term development of viticulture within the broader context of Mediterranean and European interactions.”
After conducting whole-genome DNA sequencing, the team led by University of Toulouse anthropobiologist Ludovic Orlando identified seed ages ranging from the Bronze Age about 4,000 years ago to Late Medieval grapes grown roughly 500 years ago. Orlando and colleagues were able to determine that humans in the region began utilizing both wild and domesticated vines around 2,800 to 2,400 years ago. In particular, they discovered genetically identical clones. These clones indicate harvesters relied on vegetative propagation—the process of growing new plants from stems and cuttings. In doing so, communities as early as the middle Iron Age (about 624 to 400 BCE) were able to trade grape varietals across hundreds of miles.
It wasn’t all experimentation and alteration, however. In one case, a medieval sample from Valenciennes in northern France revealed itself as genetically identical to current pinot noir grapes. This means that many vino fans have been sipping on the same type of red wine since at least the 16th or 15th century.
“From the Iron Age onward, certain grapevine lineages were maintained over centuries and more, in some cases linking Iron Age and Medieval contexts through only a few cycles of sexual reproduction,” explained the authors. “Combined, these results demonstrate not only the longevity of specific clonal lines, but also their foundational role in the development of modern viticulture.”
