Natural State

In their natural state, organisms adapt to their environment. It might take millenia, but variations, both useful and harmful, appear in every species, and are tested in the Great Crucible of Life. The losers fall from the scene and the winners reproduce. How do you think you got darker skin or lighter-colored eyes? There was a clear evolutionary advantage from it, in your ancestors’ environment. But our ancestors who inherited the gene that made them run towards large hungry predators are no longer on the scene.

Thus it has been with every species, from dinosaurs to grapes. If left to their own devices grapes will create crosses (hybrids), some of which will resist diseases (a clearly superior trait).

But humankind has altered the process of evolution, everywhere, but especially as to grapes. For centuries we’ve maintained the genetic purity of our favorite grapes, by taking cuttings and rooting them. This ensures that the new plant is identical to the old one. That’s a good thing if what you want is that same classic Zinfandel flavor profie, but it is a disaster for disease resistance. With a stationary target to shoot at, the fungi and bacteria and viruses of the world (which are without question the most-successful lifeforms) have had a field day with vinifera grapes, to the point now that our favorite European winegrapes must be sprayed with a witches’ brew of chemicals to combat the diseases. If the sprays are inorganic, then they kill beneficial insects and organisms, and there is a huge environmental cost just to manfacture them. But even if they are organic, tanksfull of tractor fuel and thousands of hours of labor are needed to apply them to the vines, and the cost of all that must flow through to the wines’ prices.

Perhaps our love of particular grape flavor profiles runs too deep? What we are doing is simply not sustainable. Frankly, we should not be supporting the market for disease-prone vinifera grapes (European winegrapes), on a long-term basis.

Enter the world of grapebreeding. Breeders cross the female of one variety with the male of another, to create new hybrids. (this is how pink roses and mules were developed). After years of testing, some of the new varieties show excellent characteristics (easy to grow; early ripening; disease-resistance; good chemistry for wine; good flavor for wine or for table).

These grapes have defenses against the microscopic invaders. For the next few centuries most of them will allow low-spray or no-spray culture (at least in many environments). If we’re going to regulate everything else, we should also regulate the gradual abandonnment of disease-prone grapes. If you think about this problem, and if you taste some of the exciting hybrid grapes already on the market, you may well conclude this is a no-brainer.

But try telling that to the French, or even to the U.S. grapegrower who has invested hundreds of thousands in her precious vinifera vineyards. The establishment will bad-mouth hybrids all day long. However, there are already rumblings in Europe for enhanced regulations to reduce the amount of spray. There is only one way these discussions can go. Over time, our winegrapes must and will change. These changes are not particularly frightening; the breeders can retain the general flavor profile of the vinifera parent, when the disease resistance and early ripening of the other parent is introduced. For example, if you drink a good Traminette, you instantly know that the taste is Gewurztraminer. But the grape is also hardy.

We may as well get used to the idea, and start learning about (and tasting) the better hybrids. Sure, there are bad wines made from hybrids, but there are bad wines made from vinifera. I can prove to you that both red and white hybrid grapes exist whose wines will satisfy your most discriminating palates. And more are entering the marketplace every decade.

I say: Bring it on.