To attend this press conference, journalists are kindly asked to send register with their name and professional contact details here.

Date: Tuesday 20 April 2021
Time: 3pm CET
Location: Zoom, YouTube live streaming
Language: EN, FR, ES

General purpose and how will the course be organised

The main objective is both to train professionals and experts in the field of “Ampelography and Genetic Resources”, and to create a pole and experts network who can exchange continuously around this important topic for the vitivinicultural sector. To achieve this, the courses are designed in collaboration with international actors and the OIV relied on the knowledge and experience of important technical, research and training centres from France and Spain:

• France - Montpellier, in cooperation with IFV (Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin), INRAE (l’Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement ) and the Institut Agro Montpellier SupAgro -, with its extensive experience in this area, was initially scheduled to run the course in July 2021. Given the international health context and in order to provide better conditions for the participants, this important worldwide ampelography centre has decided to postpone the course due to force majeure to July 2022.
• Spain - Madrid. For its first edition¹ the OIV International Course in Ampelography should take place at the beginning of September 2021 with the Vine Varieties Collection of "El Encín", Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), belonging to IMIDRA (Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario). It is an important centre of reference in the Community of Madrid and Spain where the agri-food and agro-environmental research projects are carried out.

In the following years the OIV wishes to expand this pole and experts network and carry out the course in other countries in Europe, and subsequently in the Southern Hemisphere. In this sense the 5^th training day is dedicated to the next country hosting the International Ampelography Course and to the evaluation of the acquired knowledge.

To guarantee a harmonisation and training quality in the courses run in the different countries, an evaluation of the acquired knowledge will be carried out and the OIV will deliver a course certificate to attest attendee participation.

__________________

¹ The 2021 edition will depend on the health context due to COVID. More information to come in May.

Who can apply?

Vitivinicultural sector professionals, researchers: a diploma in agronomy sciences or equivalent experience in this area is required.

The OIV course in ampelography brings comprehensive knowledge in the science of grapevine varieties to all professionals of the vitivinicultural sector. Initially the courses are intended for professionals working in the fields of viticulture, genetic resources, plant material of the vine or in the field of research. The following years will be open to other professionals in the sector: participants wishing to update their knowledge in ampelography and / or knowledge of the vine and its varieties, experts in the vitivinicultural sector to enhance their activity through knowledge of grapevine varieties and who wish to share additional information with the general public eager to know more and more about the vine, its varieties and the products they consume.

The following years will be open to other actors in the sector: any experts wishing to update their knowledge in ampelography, a field which is undergoing major changes; professionals in vitivinicultural tourism.

Why enrol in this course?

The present-day vitivinicultural sector is facing increasing environmental and social awareness and good management of the genetic resources of vine now clearly the only viable way to meet these challenges. Our sector is fully aware of these challenges which are at the heart of the OIV's Strategic Plan 2020-2024.

Other concerns have arisen such as the revaluation of old, native grape varieties, adaptation of foreign grapevine varieties or the consideration of new varieties (for example those resistant to biotic and abiotic stress).

Course overview:

• Language: Spanish / English / French

• 15 participants in order to respect social distancing

• 5-day course

• Practical, leading-edge knowledge

• Highly-qualified teachers from various countries

• The assurance of an international network of experts in the field

• Yearly registration (each country edition will require its own registration procedure)

• An OIV course certificate in ampelography

More information on fees and the registration procedure will be available soon.
For further details, please send an email to: oivampelography@oiv.int

Related news

33 years after its first edition, the prestigious OIV International Ampelography Course is coming back.

As the scientific and technical reference in the world of vine and wine, this OIV course in ampelography allows participants to acquire in-depth knowledge in the recognition and understanding of grapevine varieties, helping them to be better prepared for future challenges in the vitivinicultural sector (latest trends in genetic resources, climate change and environment societal expectations, etc...).

Historical background

The OIV's International Course in Ampelography is part of a whole historical background dating back to 1938 when "ampelography" was first cited by the OIV. Nearly 10 years later, in 1949, an ampelography commission was created in order to lead the work relating to the creation of an international ampelographic register.

In the 1990s, considering the importance of identifying varieties in the international vitivinicultural sector and the need to disseminate more widely technical and scientific work in the field of ampelography, the OIV launched a first cycle of courses in ampelography: in 1988 in Italy (ISV Conegliano), in 1990 in France (ENSA Montpellier) and in 1992 in Germany (BZWG-IR Geilweilerhof). Today, the OIV is relaunching this initiative anew with a cycle of international courses in ampelography. This course with practical, leading-edge knowledge will be facilitated by specialists from different countries.

General purpose and how will the course be organised

The main objective is both to train professionals and experts in the field of “Ampelography and Genetic Resources”, and to create a pole and experts network who can exchange continuously around this important topic for the vitivinicultural sector. To achieve this, the courses are designed in collaboration with international actors and the OIV relied on the knowledge and experience of important technical, research and training centres from France - Montpellier, in cooperation with IFV (Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin), INRAE (l’Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement) and the Institut Agro - Montpellier SupAgro - and Spain - the Vine Varieties Collection of "El Encín", Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, belonging to IMIDRA (Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario).

Why the OIV aims to promote and disseminate ampelography: A major discipline of current interest

As the scientific and technical reference in the world of vine and wine, the OIV's role is to participate actively in the promotion of this fundamental discipline since knowledge of wine comes from understanding the vine. In reaffirming the scientific and technical nature of ampelography the OIV is emphasizing the fact that this discipline embraces both tradition and innovation. In this rapidly changing world, it is the role of OIV and its experts to contribute to developing and supporting ampelography and vine resources as an important field for the sustainability of the sector.

More information on fees and the registration procedure will be available soon.

For further details, please send an email to: oivampelography@oiv.int