Increasingly, vintners are choosing clones with climate chaos in mind.
Nicole Marchesi, winemaker at Oakville, California’s Far Niente, says every choice made has one goal in mind: exemplary wines.
“We’re looking at how we can ensure resilience of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other varietals, while also amplifying quality. Climate change doesn’t always mean hotter — it means more extreme weather events.”
— Nicole Marchesi, winemaker at Far Niente
The winery has turned to classics like clone 7, plus 169 and 685. And the team also loves the proprietary clone founder Gil Nickel propagated, which they call Charlemagne. Using resilient, consistent clones, Marchesi says, allows for a lighter, more sustainable touch in the vineyard.
“We’re in the midst of a reset in our industry,” says John McCarthy, director of vineyard operations for Far Niente Wine Estate. “For our new plantings, we looked very closely at the soil profiles so we could match each clone with the appropriate rootstock. That way, we built our canopy architecture passively through compatible plant selections, rather than reactive inputs.”
In other words, better clones and rootstocks lead to fewer chemical interventions and more healthy natural growth.
