Wines from old vine wines are special but must be protected

This matters for many more reasons than nostalgia or the charismatic images their gnarled forms create. These brave survivors are vital for the future creation of wines with quality, character and reflection of place, especially so during the current climate crisis.

To large-scale wine companies, concerned above all with producing massive quantities of always-consistent liquid, low-cropping old vines aren't economic. But fortunately there are more and more growers, world-wide, who think and act differently.

Centennial Feudi di San Gregorio vine (Image: Feudi di San Gregorio)

To help them, there are national efforts – South Africa's Old Vine Project is a fine example – and international ones, exemplified by the global Old Vine Conference, which has ambassadors spread through the old world and new, supporting growers and, crucially, communicating to wine drinkers.

"Consumers don't know the significance of old vines," Alun Griffiths, co-founder of the conference, argued in a recent webinar. Paramount among their values are survival through climate challenges, resistance to disease, provision of genetic material for future vineyards, preservation of a community inheritance.

"Old vines are a beacon for talent, innovation and connection to agricultural heritage," he emphasised.

That message is echoed by Antonio Capaldo, president of major southern Italian winery Feudi di San Gregorio, which treasures its century-plus aglianico and fiano vines (Serpico, from the former, is around £40 at winedirect.co.uk or vinvm.co.uk).

"Our old vines have proved to be more resilient to climate change and extremes," he told me. "Old vines are providing to our winery a backbone for the future viticultural practices and a reminder of an incredible millennial tradition."

In Italy, that is starting to be more widely recognised, says specialist Michèle Shah, with a new law urging protection and restoration of historic vineyards – though so far its implementation is limited.

A hemisphere away, Chile has more vines at least 60 years old than anywhere else in the world, points out South American expert Amanda Barnes. Efforts to support growers of pais, one of the important criolla group of old varieties, and carignan are working well there.

Argentina too is rich in old vines, notably torrontés – another from the criolla family – and throughout South America there is a wide diversity of native wine grapes, again resistant to climate spikes.
If consumers realise that heritage wines more than reward their price supplement, concludes Griffiths, "then there is a good chance producers will accept the argument for keeping old vines".

And then, perish the thought, the example of those in-the-know thieves in South Africa who stripped crops of valued old-vine grapes hours before legal picking might even be followed world-wide.

Four whites for winter

Keeping alcohol consumption to a sensible level is wise for everyone, and there's an extra benefit with lower-percentage wines – they contain fewer fattening calories. So it's great to find two off-the-grid 11.5% whites I know well (I've stayed either on the vineyard or close by, and much respect their makers) easily available here.Domaine de Millet Cotes de Gascogne (Image: Courtesy of the producer)

Excellent online merchant Yapp Brothers (yapp.co.uk) has both. Domaine de Millet Côtes de Gascogne (£11.25) is a refreshing, aromatic, citrussy classic Gascon blend of colombard and ugni blanc from a family who've made fine armagnac for five generations and were among the pioneer producers of tempting table wines from this happy region.Domaine Gardrat Sauvignon (Image: Courtesy of the producer)

Lionel Gardrat has taken his family estate just inland from the Gironde to organic growing, and proves that Vins de Pays Charentais can rival more familiar denominations, as with Domaine Gardrat sauvignon blanc (£12.50), brightly tropical but also light and crisp. Both are ideal aperitifs.

Beaujolais Villages Chardonnay (Image: Courtesy of the producer)Still keeping to whites, I've rediscovered beaujolais blanc with much pleasure: serious, aromatic food-friendly wines with body and texture. Chardonnay is the grape, and while these wines are not burgundy taste-alikes they represent a more approachably priced, usually unoaked, alternative. Minerally, concentrated Arnaud Aucoeur Vieilles Vignes (£14.50, again from Yapp) is great value.Jean-Paul Brun Beaujolais Blanc (Image: Courtesy of the producer)

Jean-Paul Brun is a beaujolais star – and also something of a maverick. His Domaine des Terres Dorées (£18.90, vinatis.co.uk), from the "golden soils" in the south of the region, is a little more burgundian in style but made with a light hand – delicious.Textura da Estrela (Image: Courtesy of the producer)

Finally, a taste of what's to come next month when I'll focus on women winemakers. Textura da Estrela Tinto (£13.33, justerinis.com) is more than a fine example of Portugal's value for money – winemaker Mariana Salvador handles this blend of native varieties with great delicacy, creating a wine that combines elegance with pure fruit, balanced and beautiful.