In the years 1313-1850, Europe knew the so-called Little Ice Age (or PEG: Piccola Era Glaciale), at the end of which three nightmares hit the viticulture of the Old Word: oidium, phylloxera and mildew . The Philloxera Vastatrix, in particular, arrive in France in 1850, attached to some American vines that had to be planted in the French vineyards for improvement. In fact, within a few years the deadly insect had come to destroy 40% of the French vineyard.

This tiny and letal aphid  found its nemesis in an unlikely hero: American vine rootstocks.

In Italy, as in other European wine regions, the solution emerged through the grafting of European Vitis vinifera onto resistant American rootstock varieties, particularly from species like Vitis Riparia. The remarkable effectiveness of American rootstocks led to a long period of complacency in rootstock research. The solution worked so well that for nearly a century, viticulturists saw little need to explore alternatives. Standard rootstocks like SO4, 110R, and 41B became the industry standard, offering not just phylloxera resistance but also adaptation to different soil types and climate conditions.

However, contemporary viticulture faces new challenges that have reignited rootstock research. Climate change has emerged as a primary concern, pushing researchers to develop rootstocks with enhanced drought resistance and better adaptation to extreme weather conditions. Modern breeding programs are exploring rootstocks that can maintain grape quality while requiring less water and fewer inputs. Researchers are investigating rootstocks that can better resist emerging soil-borne diseases and nematodes, while also improving nutrient uptake efficiency. There’s also growing interest in rootstocks that can influence berry composition and wine quality, moving beyond the traditional focus on mere pest resistance.

Hence, knowing that new effective rootstocks have just been developed is an exciting new. A significant step forward into a new viticulture, more resilient in the current challenging times. The research team of the University of Milan (led by professors Attilio Scienza and Lucio Brancadoro with the support of the companies of Winegraft*) have discovered new features in the new generation of rootstocks “M” (M as Milan). After over twenty years of experimentation and micro-vinification in ten different production areas of the country, from Piedmont to Sicily, the team of the University of Milan has shown that the “4 musketeers“ of the M series can bring aspects that determine the quality of the grape and therefore of the wine: vigor and production of the strain, technological maturation, phenolic and aromatic of the grapes.

“The scope of this latest research at the University of Milan is truly revolutionary - commented Marcello Lunelli, president of Winegraft*,  which for ten years has supported the development of research on M graft holders, multiplied and distributed only by Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo - because it changes the historical view that we have always had of rootstocks. From now on we must no longer consider them only as a “barrier against” phylloxera, drought, etc. but as an efficient biological tool “to achieve a higher quality of the grapes and therefore of the wine”.

“It took two decades of field experimentation and detailed micro-vinification to arrive at the result  - said prof. Scienza - It is objectively more difficult in viticulture to carry out thorough investigations on the effect of rootstock on the quality of grapes because of the complex the interactions that are created between this, the growing environment and the different grape varieties”.

But the goal has been achieved. “The important amount of information that we have gained during this long experimental work - said prof. Lucio Brancadoro - allows us today to have a clearer panorama on the direct effect of the choice of the rootstock in the productive performance-the quality of the vine and grapes, regarding the quality of the wines got.”

Experiments in open field have proved that the “M” rootstocks are highly adaptable in the different environments of the Italian viticulture, and that brings a change in the perspective of viticulture.

“This discovery leads us to reconsider the approach we have always had towards rootstocks - concluded Marcello Lunelli - Scientific evidence of the importance of M in determining wine quality confirms the need for a careful choice of the grafting combination that considers the variety and environmental characteristics but also considered in terms of the aim the wine industry is to be pursued”.

*Winegraft is a company brings together 9 of the most important Italian wine companies: Ferrari, Zonin, Banfi Società Agricola, Armani Albino, Cantina Due Palme, Claudio Quarta Vignaiolo, Bertani Domains, Nettuno Castellare, Cantine Settesoli.