Twenty-one traditional local grape varieties, white and red, that are threatened with decline or extinction in areas of Central and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and regions of Bulgaria are being put under the microscope of the scientific community, through the cross-border project "VineSOS - SOS".
This is an effort to rescue varieties that, either through the cultivation routine, the imitation of producers and the introduction of new varieties, but also modern wine production techniques, weaken or even eliminate local biodiversity.
The aim of the project is to, through the exchange of good practices between growers of the two countries, the mapping of the DNA of all varieties, the molecular processing of data and on-site observation, manage to save these specific traditional varieties, especially those located within areas of the Natura 2000 network. The aim is also to highlight the advantages of the crops, either in terms of productivity or adaptation to climatic conditions, but also to promote some of them as PDOs.
As stated by the vice-rector of Research of ATEI-Thessaloniki and scientific manager of the program, Stamatis Angelopoulos, the project aspires to be, at the same time, a guide for the development of entrepreneurship in an important sector, such as vines and wine. "Towards this end, we will provide funding opportunities for all actions and business activities that will be developed along the way.".
In the Greece The selected areas are Evros, Xanthi-Rodopi, Drama, Thessaloniki and Serres, while in Bulgaria They concern the areas of Blagoevgrad, Smolyan, Kardzhali and Haskovo. Some of the varieties are Asprouda of Serres, Limnio, Thessaloniki, Xanthi-Rhodopi, Aleponoura of Soufli, etc.
| Improving the protection regime for local grape varieties: Development of a Unified Strategy for the protection and preservation of traditional grape varieties and joint submission of proposals to ensure PDO certification through the relevant procedures of bodies in the two countries.Joint writing of a viticultural guide: Recording of local grape varieties and their characteristics. Development of a database that will include genetic data and morphometric characteristics of the varieties.Establishment of an Education Center in Bulgaria: The Education Center will ensure the sustainability of the Project and will offer educational and training activities for interested parties, in a pilot field and online. As part of promotional activities, special publications will be created as well as a framework of guidelines for sustainable agricultural practices in three languages (Greek, Bulgarian and English) and in Braille. |
Earlier ypaithros.gr wrote
The Thursday 10/5 A Press Conference was held inside the TIF-HELEXPO exhibition center to present the project “VineSOS – SOS for the traditional grape varieties where are threatened with extinction» which addresses the main problems and challenges of Greek-Bulgarian cross-border area, which are related to local biodiversity and vine varieties, especially those located within Natura 2000 network areas. The project has a duration of 24 months and is funded by the European Territorial Cooperation program Interreg VA “Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020”
The high level of local biodiversity is threatened from the loss of genetic resources due to climate change and human activities related to agriculture, tourism and urban development. Local grape varieties, despite demonstrating excellent adaptation to the micro-environment, are threatened by decline or even extinction as a result of the introduction of new varieties and modern winemaking techniques.
«"Either out of routine or imitation, the cultivation of foreign varieties has been adopted and the old traditional varieties tend to disappear. We will take actions to strengthen them and why not manage to make them PDO"», commented the Scientific Director and Vice-Rector of ATEI-Th Stamatis Angelopoulos.
The main objective of the project is to promote a comprehensive intervention mechanism that will allow for the long-term conservation of vines and will create a cross-border policy for the conservation of local grape varieties, which will be based on molecular data and evidence from field research. The programme includes Community support for the following regions in Greece: Evros, Xanthi, Rodopi, Drama, Thessaloniki and Serres and the following regions in Bulgaria: Blagoevgrad, Smolyan, Kardzhali and Haskovo.
«"Analyses will be carried out for aroma, sugars and acids and then we will be able to identify them in order to preserve these traditional varieties"» said the Director of Applications of the TEI, Anastasia Giannakoula.
The main target groups and final beneficiaries in the framework of the project will be: national, regional and local competent authorities working in the field of environmental protection, biodiversity protection, agriculture, viticulture, the management bodies of protected areas, research institutions, environmental NGOs, branches of organizations, local population – farmers, winegrowers in the eligible areas of both Bulgaria and Greece. The target groups will benefit not only directly from the project activities but also in the long term, after the implementation of the project, using all the results that will arise.
The Director of the Institute of Exhibition Research (I.E.R.) Vicky Dalkrani referred to the Institute's contribution to the publicization of the project's actions and the dissemination of its results.
The following also spoke: Dimitar Andreevski, representative of the agency "Vine and wine project", and Svetla Tonashka, representative of the Prosperity and Development Association, who expressed hope that the results of the program will help the threatened traditional grape varieties.
Varieties threatened with extinction
| For Bulgaria | |
| White | Reds |
| Tamyanka; In the Haskovo regionRiesling Bulgarian, In the Haskovo regionKeratsuda, In the Blagoevgrad regionGergana, In the Haskovo regionDimyat, In the Kardzhali regionMisket Sandanski, In the Blagoevgrad region | Bouquet, In the Haskovo regionShevka, In the Haskovo regionMisket cherven, In the Haskovo regionMavrud; In the Haskovo and Blagoevgrad regions.Ruen, In the Blagoevgrad regionShiroka melnishka loza, In the Haskovo regionPamid, In the Kardzhali regionRubin, In the Haskovo and Blagoevgrad regionsMelnishki rubin, In the Blagoevgrad region |
| For Greece | |
| White | Reds |
| Zoumiatiko or Damiatis is the same as the Bulgarian Dimyat, mainly in the S. Serres and Xanthi. Aleponoura (Aleponoura) area of Soufli. Asprouda Serron (Asrpouda Serron) S. Serres. Keratsouda (Keratsouda) is the same as the Bulgarian Keratsuda Thrace. | Pamidi or Pamiti (Pamidi) is the same as the Bulgarian Pamid, Thrace Limnio (Limnio) Thessaloniki, Xanthi, Rhodopes Sefka (Sefka) is the same as the Bulgarian Nicheftka mainly in S Serres Koiniariko or Koniaro (Koiniariko or Koniaro) S Serres Trinka (Trinka) S Serres Mavroudi (Mavroudi) is the same as the Bulgarian Mavrud, Thrace Karapapas (Karapapas), Thrace |
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