Overview
- A peer-reviewed study in Nature Communications used ancient DNA to link medieval grape seeds to living cultivars.
- A 15th-century seed recovered from a hospital toilet in Valenciennes was genetically identical to Pinot Noir grown today.
- Researchers compared whole genomes from 54 seeds dating from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages to track changes over roughly 4,000 years.
- The data show vegetative cloning and identical clones across distant regions, indicating long-distance exchange of vines since at least the Iron Age.
- The team cannot tell if the medieval grapes were eaten or fermented, though the methods could help find traits to toughen vines against climate stress.