Guide to our old-vines coverage

Team JR

Thursday 9 February 2023 • 5 min read

28 June 2023 The Old Vine Registry has just been launched! See this article for background.

9 February 2023 Exciting news! The Old Vine Conference has launched the inaugural Old Vine Hero Award 'to recognise the dedication, tenacity, talents and in some cases the life work of those working with old vines and their wines'. You can nominate anyone (individual or organisation, including yourself or your own organisation) who is committed and very involved in working to preserve or champion old vines in any way. More information can be found on the Old Vine Conference website, and the link to the entry form is here. Entry is free, but note that the closing date is Sunday 19 February 2023, so get nominating! We've chosen to republish our guide to old-vines coverage for Throwback Thursday to celebrate this fantastic initiative. For the most up-to-date version of our Old Vines Register, follow this link.

26 September 2022 Rather to our surprise, we realise we have now published more than 40 articles about old vines, plus all those that were part of last year's wine writing competition with its old-vine theme. We also have nearly 200 articles tagged 'old vines', in which these amazing heritage vineyards play a starring role. Below we present a guide to all those published so far, and we will continue to add to it.

Julian Leidy* writes As the articles in our current old-vine wines series demonstrate, from Germany to Australia, America to Lebanon, South Africa to Portugal, and in many other places, old vines have a significant impact on viticulture and winemaking. They're an irreplaceable part of viticultural history and heritage. Their yields are lower, thereby producing wines of remarkable concentration and intensity (reduced productivity can, admittedly, pose financial drawbacks for winemakers). They are well-suited to the harsh terroirs of places like the volcanic, ashy Mount Etna, the rocky Bekaa Valley, or desert-like Priorat. They are more resilient to heatwaves and drought, which makes them far more capable of withstanding the ravages and volatility of climate change. Tamlyn's recent article on how old vines have been responding to the heatwaves in Europe demonstrates how important old vines are for the wine industry's ability to adapt to climate change.

Many readers might find a bit of background information on old vines useful. The age at which old vines (vielles vignes in France, viñas viejas in Spain) qualify as old can differ from country to country. However, 30–35 years tends to be when a vine is considered 'old', as it is around this age that the productivity of the vine decreases noticeably.

In South Africa, the Old Vine Project (which defines old vines as older than 35 years) functions as a regulatory body that certifies old-vine wines. In Australia, where many of the world's oldest vines can be found, the Barossa Old Vine Charter outlines four age classifications: Old Vine (at least 35 years old), Survivor Vine (at least 70 years old), Centenarian Vine (at least 100 years) and Ancestor Vine (at least 125 years old). Projects to advocate for old vines have also been developed in Chile and Lodi.

Meanwhile, the Old Vine Conference has been established to promote dialogue around, awareness of, and advocacy for old vines. Our own Old Vines Register seeks to provide a catalogue of old vines around the world, and our old-vine wine series seeks to highlight the admirable efforts of vintners around the world to care for and cultivate these vines.

The development of these institutions, regulations, and initiatives indicates a growing recognition of the significance of old vines. This is of great importance, as old vines have historically been the victims of many problems. Some were natural, such as phylloxera, while others, such as schemes to pull up old vines in favour of more productive young vines or other plants entirely, were our own doing. In the future, we need to preserve and respect our old vines, not just because they are part of the heritage and past of winemaking, but because they are essential to wine's future. Our old-vine wines series illustrates some of the steps that are being taken around the world to do just that.

Below are the articles that have been published so far in our old-vine wines series (more will be added as they are published), as well as general articles on old vines and old-vine wines and articles on old vines divided by their particular countries. The articles in each section are listed in descending order of publication, with the most recently published at the top.