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Study Reveals France's 2,700-Year-Old Winemaking Tradition

3/24/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A Nature Communications study finds that humans in France began domesticating grapes for wine production around 650 B.C.
The research used ancient DNA from grape seeds to show a long-standing winemaking tradition.
Pinot Noir and related varieties have remained largely unchanged for centuries due to careful cultivation.
Jazmín Ramos Madrigal, an evolutionary genomics expert, emphasized maintaining the same genetic clone for nearly 1,000 years.

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Story summary

A Nature Communications study finds that humans in France began domesticating grapes for wine production around 650 B.C.
The research used ancient DNA from grape seeds to show a long-standing winemaking tradition.
Pinot Noir and related varieties have remained largely unchanged for centuries due to careful cultivation.
Jazmín Ramos Madrigal, an evolutionary genomics expert, emphasized maintaining the same genetic clone for nearly 1,000 years.