The attempt to safeguard and raise the profile of the world’s stocks of old vines has been one of the most significant developments in the world of fine wine in recent years, with a number of initiatives and organizations forming around the winemaking world to take on the work of registering, protecting, and promoting old vines and vineyards.
In October this year, the work of this loose alliance of old-vine advocates was given a significant boost when the International Organization of Vine & Wine (OIV), the intergovernmental body devoted to “technical and scientific aspects of viticulture and winemaking,” announced it had formally adopted an “OIV definition and recommendations about old grapevines and old vineyards in the vitivinicultural sector,” at its 22nd General Assembly.
The new resolution, OIV-VITI 703-2024, which is being hailed as landmark breakthrough by representatives of organizations including The Old Vine Conference, The Old Vine Project, The Old Vine Registry, and the Censimento Vecchie Vigne, covers both vines and vineyards, and states:
- An old grapevine is a single plant officially documented to be 35 years or older regardless of any other factors. In the case of grafted plants, the graft connection between rootstock and scion should have been undisturbed for, at least 35 years
- An old vineyard is a block of vineyard terrain, continuous and legally delimited, where at least 85% of the grapevines respond to the previous definition
In a statement, the OIV said the “important achievement was the result of an extended discussion among the OIV Experts of the Commission Viticulture and was based on a specific official consultation among the OIV member States.”
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“As the guy behind the current incarnation of the Old Vine Registry, I’m extremely proud that this little project has helped even a small amount in furthering the wine industry’s awareness of old vines and their value,” said US wine writer and Old Vine Registry coordinator, Alder Yarrow.
“This is a milestone for the old vine movement globally,” added The Old Vine Conferenec’s co-founder, Sarah Abbott MW.
“In Europe the EU commission is required to consider OIV recommendations when developing new rules so this could be truly impactful in future regulations and uprooting programs there. We would like to thank our members and supporters for their patronage, advocacy and solidarity in the shared mission that has collectively contributed to this consequential announcement.”
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The news came as The Old Vine Conference hosted its second Old Vine Wine Week, featuring “tastings in London, educational webinars, interviews with old vine producers and special offers from wine suppliers.” The organization has also announced that the next edition of The Old Vine Conference, a gathering of old vine stakeholders including producers, importers, sommeliers, and press, will take place in California in 2025.
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