From July 1st to 4th, Lauren Odegan and Olivier Yobrega, specialists from the French Wine and Vine Institute (IFV), along with Professor Thierry Lacombe from Institut Agro Montpellier, visited Armenia.

This visit was made possible through the cooperation between the CARD Foundation and IFV. The goal is to produce phylloxera-resistant, virus-free grafted grape seedlings, enabling farmers to grow healthy, high-quality grapes.

Since the production of virus-free seedlings is a time-consuming and multi-stage process, during the visit, the guests toured the vineyards of Tavush, Vayots Dzor, and the Ararat Plain with CARD Foundation specialists, studying and sampling endemic grape varieties. During the sampling, the phytosanitary condition and purity of the grape variety were emphasized. The sampled vines will be tested in laboratory conditions, and a mother vineyard will be established from the vines that meet the quality requirements, which will later become the most important link in the production of saplings.

The program not only aims at the effective multiplication of Armenian grape varieties but also emphasizes their preservation for both Armenian and international viticulture. Armenian endemic varieties have a history spanning thousands of years and have demonstrated resilience to climate changes, such as global warming.

The cooperation between the CARD Foundation and IFV is ongoing, with future bilateral visits planned to support the sapling production process.