600-year-old grape seed used to make pinot noir wine found in toilet of medieval hospital in France

Key Points:

• Scientists discovered a 600-year-old grape seed in a medieval French hospital toilet that is genetically identical to modern pinot noir grapes, indicating cultivation of this variety since at least the 1400s.
• The study, published in Nature Communications, sequenced genomes of 54 grape seeds from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, confirming that clonal propagation techniques have been used for over 600 years.
• Evidence shows domesticated grapevines appeared in France around 625-500 BC, likely introduced by Greek colonizers, with genetic mixing occurring during the Roman period involving varieties from Spain, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East.
• The research highlights France's deep historical connection to viticulture, linking ancient practices to its present status as a leading global wine producer with significant cultural and economic importance.
• Future studies may integrate historical texts with paleogenomic data to further understand ancient winegrowing techniques and their evolution over millennia.