Well, well. The EU has finally relented and is allowing the introduction of resistant grapevine varieties in designated appellation regions. They realised that climate change and the use of pesticides and other toxins are colliding to cause devastation to the environment. To hell with the appellation. They are finally going to save the earth. But they don't seem to have left many native vines behind. At least I keep searching for them in ancient monastic sites and haven't found any.
A number of hybrid varieties benefit from a higher resistance to common diseases such as downy and powdery mildew, meaning that the vineyards require little to no treatments such as chemical pesticides or organic-approved copper. That will enable the industry to become sustainable. It will also stop tractors from compacting the soil as they apply chemicals that poison the land and pollinators.
Meanwhile, at the International Wineries Climate Action conference, Miguel Torres of Familia Torres warned that ‘Climate change for viticulture is worse than phylloxera’. IWCA warns of a 'climate emergency' as it continues working towards its members being carbon neutral by 2050.
I haven't been able to find the EU announcement about the changes yet. Here is a scholarly article analysing the considerations: EU wine policy in the framework of the CAP: post-2020 challenges
