Victor Grézot

Victor Grézot was a French practical viticulturist and breeder from Burgundy (Nolay, Côte-d'Or), whose contribution to world ampelography is inextricably linked with the era of the "phylloxera crisis." During the last quarter of the 19th century (1870–1900), when European winemaking faced the threat of total destruction due to the root louse, Grézot focused on breeding and selecting new interspecific hybrids capable of serving as hardy rootstocks for classic Vitis vinifera varieties.

Historical Context and Line of Work

In the second half of the 19th century, French vineyards were dying en masse due to an accidentally imported pest from North America — phylloxera. The only scientifically proven salvation proposed by the scientific community was the grafting of European vines onto the resistant roots of American wild grape species.

However, the initial American rootstocks adapted poorly to the specific soil and climatic conditions of France. On lime-rich soils, they induced severe iron-deficiency chlorosis in the vines. Victor Grézot engaged in large-scale breeding work alongside his prominent contemporaries (Georges Couderc, Alexis Millardet, and others). His goal was to create specialized hybrid rootstocks combining high phylloxera resistance with good affinity (graft compatibility) and tolerance to challenging soil types.

Main Breeding Achievement: Grezot 1 Rootstock

The breeder's main success, which entered international ampelographic registries, was a hybrid rootstock named in his honor — Grezot 1, also known by the code abbreviation G 1.

• History of Creation: The variety was obtained by V. Grézot in 1894 through long-term practical experiments in Burgundy.
• Genealogy (Pedigree): Traditionally, historical literature described a multi-stage cross involving the lines (Couderc 1616 × Rupestris du Lot) × Ganzin 1. However, modern genetic research (DNA marker analysis) recorded in the international VIVC database has introduced a fundamental clarification: the variety is a hybrid from a direct cross between the rootstocks 1202 Couderc (maternal form) and Castel 216-3 (paternal form).
• Viticultural Significance: The Grezot 1 hybrid has proven to be a specialized rootstock with high drought tolerance, good magnesium uptake, and a moderate influence on scion vigor, making it a valuable object for contemporary studies on grapevine adaptation to climate change.

Legacy

Victor Grézot's work demonstrated that breeding rootstocks based on complex interspecific combinations can effectively solve targeted viticultural challenges. Accounts of his experiments were included in fundamental French compendiums of the early 20th century (including the works of Pierre Galet). Today, the Grezot 1 rootstock he created is preserved in international ampelographic collections, registered in the official catalogue of France, and actively used in modern research projects (such as the GreffAdapt experimental vineyards) to study grapevine resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.