GG_N53_FRA_Complet-web_V2

DISCOVERY
NURSERY
NOVATECH – MERCIER’S INTEGRATED LABORATORY
Novatech is the group’s research and development laboratory. For the past thirty years, the group has invested in this key sector.
Olivier Zekri, the laboratory’s manager, outlines its activities.
O
“ ur department was created by Jean-Pierre
Mercier. Originally, its primary focus was
on diagnosing vineyard pathogens and that is
still our core activity and keeps us busy six or
seven months of the year. Another aspect is
what is known as biological control. The principle
involves incorporating micro-organisms
that are beneficial for the plant and are aimed
at strengthening its natural defence system
against all aggressive pathogens it might
encounter. Lastly, for the past fifteen years we
have been studying what I used to call varietal
innovation involving massal selection which
you spoke about with Miguel.
Also, for the past four or five years, we have
become actively involved in varietal creation and
have been approved as a Private Breeder (Ed. the
only one in France), which now allows us to work
on 980 genotypes, all of them offering resistance
capabilities. Approximately 120 of them undergo
more granular research mainly in terms of
phenology and nano-technologies in the winemaking
process. The aim is mostly to eliminate
the less suitable candidates. Then comes the
registration stage in the catalogue of new varieties
– we now have twenty-four registered. This
is a fairly long process which implies planting
at least 90 vines of each variety in two different
wine regions – in our case, one is here in Vix, the
other is near Montpellier in the South of France.
This does not allow us to conduct large-scale
trials but things are in the process of changing
and INAO itself now permits experiments that
are broader in scope and are managed by winegrowers
themselves via the VIFA programme
(varieties of interest for adaptation purposes).
So, practitioners of these future grape varieties
authorised for PDO and PGI wines can understand
the most basic issues such as the type of
pruning required and yeast to use. This is a great
step forward that will save everyone time.
OLIVIER ZEKRI, DIRECTOR OF THE NOVATECH LABORATORY WHICH MANAGES
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE MERCIER GROUP
68 AUTUMN 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE