New grape varieties for new wines - in search of the secrets of the natural evolution of the Portuguese vine

FINISHED

Portugal has a vast and diversified viticultural genetic heritage that contributes to the production of unique and exceptional wines recognised worldwide. Within the European Union, Portugal has a fairly high number of grape varieties in proportion to its territory (the vines occupy a total area of 190 thousand hectares). However, there may still be dozens of unknown grape varieties with enormous viticultural and oenological potential.

In this context, the project "In Lisbon and the Tagus Valley, new varieties for new wines - In search of the secrets of the natural evolution of the Portuguese vine" (Project OPP38) was created, which aims to develop studies and analyses of collections of vine genotypes recovered mainly from old vineyards throughout the country. In these collections of preserved vines, but not yet studied, there is a high probability of finding unknown varieties, resulting from natural crossings. The main objective is subsequently to contribute to the economic performance of the national wine sector, which will thus see its portfolio of varieties increased, contributing to its differentiation."

The implementation period is 24 months and an allocation of €200,000 has been made available.