FOOD NEWS
These Grape Varieties Almost Went Extinct At One Point
BY LUCIA CAPRETTI
Viognier
Not all wine grapes get the same treatment, and some varieties like Viognier almost went extinct before dedicated vintners helped save them.
In the '80s, just 80 acres of Viognier were produced because of its finicky growing conditions, but it has since regained popularity for its notes of honeysuckle and stone fruit.
Carménère
In the 1800s, Carménère grapes in Europe were almost entirely wiped out by a root louse, and since the varietal wasn’t as popular, most crops weren’t replanted.
The grape varietal was resurrected in Chile by vintners who confused it with merlot grapes. Today, Carménère is popular for its notes of red berries, plums, cedar, and spice.
Godello
Native to Northern Spain, Godello grapes nearly went extinct in the 1970s when vintners began replacing them with other varietals due to their finicky, vulnerable nature.
The varietal survived thanks to Horacio Fernández Presa who founded the Bodegas Godeval winery to produce godello wines with notes of apple, peach, and citrus.
Fiano
Fiano is an ancient wine grape that was almost decimated by an epidemic of phylloxera louse and winegrowers who overlooked the varietal.
Wine producer Mastroberardino saved Fiano grapes, and now it is one of the most esteemed wines of Southern Italy with bold, floral, and tropical fruit notes.
Arneis
Some grape varietals go extinct or almost extinct because they’re finicky to grow like Arneis, meaning "little rascal," which was overlooked for easier varietals.
By the '60s the varietal was almost extinct, but it’s believed winemaker Alfredo Currado saved it. Now, it creates a floral and aromatic white wine with notes of nuts and vanilla.