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Ancient DNA from Roman and Medieval Grape Seeds Reveal Ancestry of Wine Making
EurekAlert! ^ | Monday, June 10, 2019 | University of York

Posted on 06/10/2019 7:26:31 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

A grape variety still used in wine production in France today can be traced back 900 years to just one ancestral plant, scientists have discovered.

With the help of an extensive genetic database of modern grapevines, researchers were able to test and compare 28 archaeological seeds from French sites dating back to the Iron Age, Roman era, and medieval period.

...a team of researchers from the UK, Denmark, France, Spain, and Germany, drew genetic connections between seeds from different archaeological sites, as well as links to modern-day grape varieties.

It has long been suspected that some grape varieties grown today, particularly well-known types like Pinot Noir, have an exact genetic match with plants grown 2,000 years ago or more, but until now there has been no way of genetically testing an uninterrupted genetic lineage of that age.

Dr Nathan Wales, from the University of York, said: "From our sample of grape seeds we found 18 distinct genetic signatures, including one set of genetically identical seeds from two Roman sites separated by more than 600km, and dating back 2,000 years ago.

"These genetic links, which included a 'sister' relationship with varieties grown in the Alpine regions today, demonstrate winemakers' proficiencies across history in managing their vineyards with modern techniques, such as asexual reproduction through taking plant cuttings."

One archaeological grape seed excavated from a medieval site in Orléans in central France was genetically identical to Savagnin Blanc. This means the variety has grown for at least 900 years as cuttings from just one ancestral plant...

The researchers now hope to find more archaeological evidence that could send them further back in time and reveal more grape wine varieties.

(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: agriculture; alcohol; animalhusbandry; booze; denmark; dietandcuisine; france; germany; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; huntergatherers; medieval; middleages; oenology; pinotnoir; romanempire; savagninblanc; spain; traminer; unitedkingdom; vinjaune; wine; zymurgy
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Comment #21 Removed by Moderator

To: SunkenCiv
The red grape 🍇! From the heavens no doubt What did the lord Jesus turn water into. Boys and girls ?
22 posted on 06/10/2019 11:00:03 PM PDT by Truthoverpower (The guvmint you get is the Trump winning express !)
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To: malach

I seem to have the best tomato plants when I grow them in 5 gallon buckets. They like moist but well drained soil


23 posted on 06/11/2019 12:19:57 AM PDT by Keyhopper (Indians had bad immigration laws)
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To: Beowulf9

Roses are red
Violets are purple
Sugar us sweet
So’s maple syrple


24 posted on 06/11/2019 2:33:08 AM PDT by null and void (Stamp out philately!)
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To: Truthoverpower; SaveFerris

We’ll recognize the antichrist by his miracle of turning wine into water...


25 posted on 06/11/2019 2:37:41 AM PDT by null and void (Stamp out philately!)
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To: SunkenCiv
This means the variety has grown for at least 900 years as cuttings from just one ancestral plant...

Huh? so some guy growing grapes 900 years ago, destroyed all his other plants, and rebuilt his vineyard from a single plant? And all his winemaking buddies, the weird raisin guy down the street, all got rid of their plants to use his one survivor? I don't think so...
26 posted on 06/11/2019 6:03:48 AM PDT by Svartalfiar
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To: Svartalfiar
Doesn't matter what you think.

27 posted on 06/11/2019 7:06:19 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: malach
I thought that was off as well, but a quick search showed me my error.

28 posted on 06/11/2019 7:07:33 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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Savagnin Blanc
Google

29 posted on 06/11/2019 7:10:09 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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The rest of the Oenology keyword, sorted; looks like some wine topics didn't get the zymurgy keyword, btw:

30 posted on 06/11/2019 9:56:09 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Doesn't matter what you think.

Not really, but it's a matter of practicality. Widespread across cities, not to mention states, How would one grapevine be the only one that survived? The math simple doesn't work there, unless all the grapes at that time had matching DNA already.
31 posted on 06/11/2019 10:12:58 AM PDT by Svartalfiar
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To: Svartalfiar
Speaking of a matter of practicality, it's in the nature of grape propagation that the best vine winds up cloned thousands of times. The alternative is, the DNA matches are just a huge coincidence, or a conpiracy.

32 posted on 06/11/2019 10:35:44 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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Comment #33 Removed by Moderator

To: malach

I grow mine in my own compost. I always have better results in 5 gallon buckets.


34 posted on 06/12/2019 7:10:55 PM PDT by Keyhopper (Indians had bad immigration laws)
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