Natalia Pacheco writes I am Natalia Pacheco, an international sommelier with WSET Level 3 certification. I specialize in the technical analysis of wine and the development of accessible and precise communication. I am driven by curiosity, a desire to keep learning, and a passion for sharing knowledge. I seek to deepen my understanding of wine and to stay attuned to the trends that are reshaping the sector, with a conscious and open approach to change
Listening to the new
An unexpected discovery
In February 2024, I embarked on what, in personal terms, I might call my own small Grand Tour: a study trip that took me through wine regions of France and Italy, and to Wine Paris, one of the main international gatherings of the sector.
It was there, almost by chance, that I found myself in front of a glass of Souvignier Gris. And I found myself silent.
There was no story, no lineage, no inherited emotion. Just a glass.
The first impression was disconcerting. Without a classical frame of reference—no memories, no equivalents—the experience rested entirely on the unexpected. How do you narrate something that has neither history nor a name of its own yet?
Souvignier Gris, a PIWI variety born more from necessity than tradition, proposed a rupture: fewer inputs, more future. A technical promise in a world that demands resilience.
And yet I wondered: can a wine move us without a story? Are we ready to welcome the new, even if we do not yet know how to tell its tale?
Souvignier Gris: technique and expression
Like other PIWI varieties—an acronym derived from the German Pilzwiderstandsfähig, meaning natural resistance to fungal diseases such as downy and powdery mildew—this grape was born from a very concrete need: to produce grapes capable of reducing chemical treatments in the vineyard. Designed for a context of climate change and new agronomic demands, these varieties propose a form of sustainability that goes beyond marketing claims.
This cultivar was developed in 1983 at the Viticultural Research Institute in Freiburg. For years it was believed to be a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Bronner, until later genetic analyses revealed another story: its true parents are Seyval Blanc and Zähringer, the latter itself descended from Gewürztraminer and Riesling. Perhaps it is there, in that overlooked lineage, where part of its aromatic profile resides: fresh stone fruits, precise acidity, citrus flashes, and a mineral echo that upholds its freshness.
Although it retains genetic traces from other Vitis species such as lincecumii and rupestris, it has been officially registered as Vitis vinifera in the International Vitis Variety Catalogue (VIVC). This classification, more than a technical formality, allows it to fully participate in the traditional European wine framework, without being relegated to the category of 'experimental hybrid.'
In the glass, it offers a restrained yet precise expression: white peach, young apricot, pink grapefruit notes, and a subtle herbal suggestion reminiscent of fresh fennel. On the palate, it combines moderate to high acidity with a creamy texture that culminates in a tense acidity and a subtle mineral finish.
Souvignier Gris does not seek to seduce through exuberance. Its language is cleaner, quieter, inviting us to rethink what we mean by identity in wine.
The challenge of categories
In the traditional European wine system, the production of wines with designation of origin (DOP, DOC, AOC) has generally been based on the exclusive use of Vitis vinifera varieties. This definition, designed to preserve each region's historical and sensory identity, has tended to exclude hybrid varieties, even when they offer clear agronomic advantages.
PIWI varieties, developed to resist fungal diseases and reduce agrochemical use, present a challenge to this framework. Although some, like Souvignier Gris, have been officially registered as Vitis vinifera in the International Vitis Variety Catalogue (VIVC), their acceptance within origin denominations remains limited.
In Italy, Legislative Decree No. 61/2010 establishes that only varieties recognized as Vitis vinifera can be used for wines with denomination of origin. However, some regions, such as Veneto and Lombardy, have authorized the cultivation of PIWI varieties under observation, allowing their use in categories like Vino or IGT, although not yet in DOC or DOCG.
France, meanwhile, has begun to ease its stance: since 2021, certain PIWI varieties have been permitted in the IGP category, though their inclusion in traditional AOCs has not yet been authorized.
These developments reflect a growing tension between the need to adapt viticulture to climate challenges and the desire to preserve the historical structures that have shaped the identity of European wine.
A continuity towards the future
In front of a glass of Souvignier Gris, I found myself, for the first time, without a story. No lineage, no centenary terroir, no associated memory. Just the wine, and the need to learn how to listen to it from another place.
Perhaps that feeling was not an exception, but a preview. The future of wine will not be built solely by looking backward. Sustainability, adaptation to climate change, and the pursuit of more environmentally respectful practices are now a shared horizon, driven more by awareness than by the needs of the present.
Varieties like Souvignier Gris do not represent a rupture; they represent a possible continuity, a way of preserving what is essential by adapting to what is inevitable.
If wine has always been a reflection of its history, are we ready for it to also become a reflection of our responsibility towards the future?
Image by diane555 via iStock.
