able to cultivate the gene-edited vines freely. Winemakers would be able to make wine from them and sell it. The crucial point here is the legal treatment of the gene-edited vines in wine law. Wine is a unique beverage where great importance is attached to its geographical provenance. Appellation systems clearly play a big role, but so, too, do grape varieties, by providing consumers with certain styles of wine. If a newly created gene-edited variety is considered in wine law as a clone of the original variety, it may be able to produce appellation wines, as well as varietal wines. In this case, the commercial value of the gene-edited variety would increase and the impact on the wine industry would be maximized. For example, the gene-edited Chardonnay developed by CREA-VE would be regarded as a clone of conventional Chardonnay. The edited Chardonnay could be used to create, for example, any of the grand or premier cru white Burgundies. And as long as there were no legal obligation to label the wines as having been made with a gene-edited variety, there would likely be little or no consumer backlash. The distribution of the vines would be the same as for conventional clones. So, they would not suffer any disadvantages anywhere along the supply chain. There is a big caveat, however. Under current EU policy, the gene-edited varieties could not be used in organic farming. And many or most leading producers in Burgundy, as well as in many other parts of the world, practice organic viticulture. Conventional farmers, therefore, would stand to see the greatest benefit. Regions that produce large quantities of inexpensive wine using conventional farming methods, such as the Pays d’Oc or the Veneto, might benefit most. But even premium wine- producing regions, such as Bordeaux, Champagne, and Rías Baixas, where the humid climate and labor shortages hamper the adoption of organic farming, might accept gene-edited vines to reduce labor requirements and secure yield. On the other hand, if a gene-edited variety had to be registered as a distinct new variety, it could not be used under the current appellation legislation. Even if it were made as a varietal wine, it would have no name recognition or value so would struggle to sell. And again, it could not be used in organic farming. The commercial value of the product would therefore be greatly reduced, and the impact on the wine industry would be minimized. For example, if a gene-edited Chardonnay developed by CREA-VE were registered as a new variety under the name “CREA-White,” it could not be used for Burgundy wine. Nor would “CREA-White” varietal wine appeal to consumers. Geographical designations and varietal names are important attributes, and wines without them would be at the bottom of the price range. In this situation, the PiWi varieties would probably win out as the main sustainable alternatives. There are additional barriers to the widespread use of gene-edited varieties in the EU. For example, even if the edited variety were considered as a clone of the original variety, it would be far from certain that each appellation—Champagne, Montrachet, Pauillac, and all the rest—would accept the use of the edited variety. Moreover, the clones created by new genomic technologies could not obtain a patent in the EU. This means that even if Mercier and other developers produce edited vines, they may not be able to recover their development costs, which would lead to a stagnation in research. Considering all of the above, it may be difficult for gene-edited varieties to play a leading role in the EU.
I asked Dr Zekri of the Mercier nursery for his opinion on these issues. He replied that research into gene-edited crops is proceeding not only in the EU but also in other countries around the world. But he recognized that the actual use of gene-edited crops on any scale will depend on how far and how fast a sense of crisis may grow over the environment and food supplies. The sense of urgency may reach a stage where gene-edited crops would generally be regarded as desirable or necessary. The commercial potential of gene-edited crops will also vary from country to country. For example, it is not possible in the EU to obtain a patent for a gene-edited clone of Merlot, but it is possible in the US. This means that Mercier may be able to patent a Merlot-Mercier clone in the US and sell it there. That would give a huge incentive to other developers, and competition could become fierce, leading to better edited clones. Some countries might authorize gene-edited Merlot for appellation wines. If gene-edited varieties spread outside the EU, and other markets were dominated by them, the EU would be under great pressure to change its current policy. Moreover, if a country such as the US used gene-edited varieties to achieve unprecedented sustainability, then the EU’s organic farming sector would almost certainly be criticized for continuing its resistance to them. I suspect that this situation is very likely to arise—and sooner than many people would imagine. Gene- edited varieties may not become popular in an EU-driven wine industry over the short to medium term, but over the longer term they are likely to be accepted and adopted by more and more people, consumers and producers alike. Under the broad scenario I have sketched out here, it makes
sense for large nurseries or research institutes to participate in the development of gene-edited vines. Growers can concentrate on growing classic and PiWi varieties for the time being. Distributors and consumers—in fact, everybody involved in whatever way with the world of wine—should attempt to stay well-informed and develop their own ideas and philosophies. The big wave is yet to come. But it will.
NOTES 1. Greenpeace 2024, “GMOs & Toxic Pesticides” Available at
greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture issues/gmos – accessed January 14, 2024. 2. Sanatech-seed 2023, ゲノム編集技術により開発したGABA含有量を高め たトマトの2例目の届出提出について Available at
sanatech-seed.com/ja/230731 – accessed January 14, 2024.
3. 有機農業ニュースクリップ, 2021, ゲノム編集トマトの受理撤回を求める意 見書を提出 日本有機農業研究会など Available at
organic-newsclip.info/log/2021/
21021105-1.html – accessed January 14, 2024.
5. News Picks 2020
4.
Wein.plus 2023, “Bordeaux Threatened with Mildew Disaster of ‘Unparalleled Proportions.’” Available at
magazin.wein.plus/news/bordeaux-droht-mehltau- katastrophe-unvergleichlichen-ausmasses-55-prozent-der-trauben- beefallen – accessed January 14, 2024. 【実験】
「神のハサミ」 クリスパーCas9は、
るのか？ Available at
youtube.com/watch?v=Yilbh1qxbsw – accessed February 3, 2024.
6. OIV 2016, “Grapevine Trunk Diseases: A Review.” Available at
oiv.int/public/medias/4650/trunk-diseases-oiv-2016.pdf – accessed February 4, 2024.
7. The European Parliament 2024, “Plants Produced Using New Genomic Techniques.” Available at
europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2023/754549/ EPRS_BRI(2023)754549_EN.pdf – accessed February 5, 2024.
THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 87 | 2025 | 133
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