PIWI grape varieties:

A category of hybrid grape varieties that were crossed over time with the aim to be resistant to fungal disease like powdery and downy mildew. In this context, the hybrids for PIWI varietals will involve by ‘crossing’ a vitis vinifera variety with another variety from another vine species like vitis labrusca or vitis amurensis. In doing so, wine growers hope that the grapes can genetically profit from the high fungal resistant non-vinifera vine while maintaining the quality of a vitis vinifera variety. Some examples of PIWIs include Solaris (mainly planted in Germany) or Voltis, which officially became the 8th approved grape variety of Champagne.


With a huge emphasis on sustainability in the 21st century, wine growers intend to reduce the number of sprays (both natural and synthetic) with the increasing demand of organic and biodynamic wines. Furthermore, better understanding of sustainable viticulture practises can also improve vineyard soil health in the long term.


In the example of Champagne, Voltis was created because Champagne is a region that is notorious for having high fungal disease pressure. With approximately over 5 hectares of Voltis planted today, the long-term plan is to incorporate it into the blends of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, without compromising the quality or prestige of Champagne wines. In addition, there has been another advantage for Voltis in Champagne: it seems that it has adapted well to the challenging Champagne climate, as it is an early ripening variety, meaning that it will not risk unfinished ripening in the cool Champagne autumns.


Strengths and Opportunities of PIWIs

There are several reasons to be optimistic about these rising star grape varieties. Firstly, there is the environmental impact and its potential on reducing the use of chemical and natural sprays. For regions particularly susceptible to fungal disease, PIWIs can give several wine growers an option in ensuring respectable yield, which may not have been possible before. Especially in weather-dependent fields like viticulture, low yields due to fungal disease have been problematic. By planting PIWIs, grape growers not only save money on sprays, but there is also a huge long-term impact on the environment, with less heavy metals being built up in the earth, a criticism often associated with organic viticulture when battling against mildew. Additionally, less spraying means less intervention of tractors which could reduce the risk of soil compaction.


This sustainable vision could lead to opportunities. There has been a surging demand for organic, biodynamic, and natural wines, especially among Millennial and Gen-Z consumers. As these categories of wine tend to only use organically grown grapes, PIWIs are more adapted to such viticulture styles than their pure vitis vinifera counterpart. As it becomes more popular through consumer awareness thanks to its environmental benefits, it can promote the emergence of different wine styles, which could translate to financial benefits and increased sales.


In the short term, however, these wines can be something very interesting for high-involvement consumers and wine professionals. In the current wine industry where there are not many unfilled gaps in the market, PIWIs can give a wine producer a significant way to differentiate themselves. Indeed, it is still considered as a niche territory today, but by perhaps starting with high-involvement and wine-educated consumers, this could prove to be an adequate starting point, as interest might develop organically over time with more global exposure to PIWIs.


Its Drawbacks and Threats

Similarly to how there was scepticism when combatting Phylloxera with grafting rootstocks when the idea was first introduced, PIWIs were not without their critiques; with many questioning its ability to develop quality grapes for wine production. While they are newly experimented varieties, the lack of fruit quality can often be due to their non-vinifera parentage on one hand, but on the other hand, PIWIs are still as mentioned ‘experimental’ in many wine growers’ minds and therefore they are unlikely to be planted on the better sites of the property, giving it less chance to produce quality fruit. In summary, it is clear that while there is an opportunity for fruit quality to increase, it still remains one of PIWI’s greatest weaknesses currently.


Legally, PIWIs are also facing an uphill battle in terms of being included in PDO (protected designation of origin) wines. With the EU’s strict regulations on grape growing, growers who choose to plant PIWIs are taking a financial risk as they will not be able to use the PDO on their wine label even though it may be planted on PDO land, which means that their wines will likely be sold for a cheaper price.

There are, however, exceptions like Voltis in Champagne, who has shown a lot of promise, which could all of a sudden become a key opportunity as it gains increased market share.


In terms of commercial threats, PIWIs are still a relatively new concept, and they are not yet widely accepted in the mass market. Without proper communication and marketing strategy, it will remain a challenging product to sell. As mentioned above, it has the potential to fill a gap in the market; however, it is still too unknown, and there are a lot of questions to be asked before it succeeds. Furthermore, the unfamiliarity of these grapes and their limitations in terms of use in PDO wines mean that sommeliers and wine buyers may also be sceptical in investing. Overcoming these obstacles will require strong educational campaigns, tastings, and endorsements from industry experts to build consumer trust in order to drive demand.


The Future

PIWIs have been a great success in general based on their uniqueness and what they contribute viticulturally. That being said, there is still a lot of ongoing research to learn more about its full capabilities, as we are also starting to see a lot of variations between the different hybrids. For example, it seems that some hybrids are immune to black rot or Anthracnose, while others are not. Ultimately, understanding these variations will be vital for selecting the most suitable hybrids for specific regions; while monitoring market demands and trends could guide wine growers on predicting upcoming opportunities in the ever-evolving wine market.


To improve its chance of success in the market, it is also imperative that its quality continue to improve by innovating and developing new crossings/hybrids, while experimenting with them on premium sites to discover its full potential. With that in mind, there can then be a discussion about including them in the respective PDO, which could elevate its reputation and ultimately demand.


Lastly, while PIWIs have shown great innovation and promise, it is clear that the mass wine market may still not be ready for the switch. However, given our unpredictably changing climate of the 21st century, they have a chance to stand out from traditional varieties, especially with more exposure, education and continuous research to improve PIWIs.




Written by Kai Lee