UK supermarket Tesco has made a bold move by launching a wine from a disease-resistant hybrid variety called Floreal, and they’ve put the name of this lesser-known variety on the label! The wine, priced at £8, is produced by the large French company Le Grand Chais. This initiative is commendable as resistant varieties like Floreal have the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of wine production. However, many producers shy away from them fearing that unknown varieties might be difficult to market. Tesco has taken a chance to lead this conversation, and it will be intriguing to observe how the wine is showcased in stores (the wine was launched today, 5 August).
So what is Floreal?
Floreal is an interspecific cross, which means it is a hybrid. These resistant varieties are often referred to as PIWIs.
It was approved for the French national catalogue in 2018, and currently, there is just one clone, known as 1265. Floreal is resistant to both powdery and downy mildew, possessing two resistance genes for each, essential for maintaining resistance against evolving disease organisms: downy mildew (Rpv1 + Rpv3) and powdery mildew (Run1 + Ren3). It was developed by INRA (the French national agricultural research institute) under their ResDur program.
Floreal is a crossing of Villaris x Mtp 3159-2-12.
The two parents are themselves both hybrids. One is Villaris, a variety bred by the JKI Institute at Geilweilerhof, registered in 2011. It has resistance genes from American vines, mainly Vitis rupestris and V. aestivalis. The other is Mtp 3159-2-12, which was bred at INRA by the well-known breeder Alain Bouquet (Montpellier), with resistant genes from V. rotundifolia.
The advantage of growing this variety is that it needs hardly any spraying, which saves money, is good for the environment, and reduces both carbon footprint and soil compaction.
What does it taste like?
Tesco Finest Floreal 2023 Vin de France
11% alcohol
£8 Tesco
Made for Tesco by Les Grands Chais de France. A resistant variety first approved in 2018. This is bright, zesty, sippy and fruity with clean citrus and pear fruit with a touch of green apple. It’s bright and expressive with lovely fruit, and nice purity. Great to see such an appealing, bright fruity white at this price made from a resistant variety. Let’s hope the customers embrace this unfamiliar variety. 87/100