“This foundation of information is of great use for those around the world seeking to breed improved grape varieties. It’s extremely important that this collection be preserved well into the future.”
Bruce Reisch, grape breeder, Department of Horticulture quoted on nature.com (the website of Nature, the international weekly journal of science February 5, 2014) in a story about the uncertain funding to relocate France’s Domaine de Vassal vineyard.
The so-called “Louvre of grape vines” is a 138-year-old collection of 7,500 accessions from 47 countries, representing 2,300 different grape varieties, including wild species, rootstocks, hybrids and mutants important for maintaining the genetic diversity of cultivated grapes.
Read the whole story: Grapevine gene bank under threat.