Patrons

 

baron ph rothschildausonecheval blanc yquem  haut brionlatourmargauxpetrus fontd lafite

Context

The Olivier de Serres Chair was established to support the wine sector in the face of climate change, which is already affecting yields, grape composition and wine quality, and whose future effects could be even more severe without an adaptation strategy. Its aim is to generate scientific knowledge on the impacts of climate change and the vine’s adaptation mechanisms, and to develop practical tools enabling wine-growing estates to make informed decisions in both the short and long term.

The approach draws inspiration from the philosophy of Olivier de Serres, a pioneer of French agronomy, who was committed to a precise understanding of soils and growing conditions.

As such, the Chair positions itself as a leading research centre and a practical resource, aiming to generate and share knowledge, whilst supporting professionals in implementing sustainable solutions to climate-related challenges.

Team members

Nathalie Ollat, a research engineer at INRAE and director of the EGFV laboratory, specialises in the physiology of grapevines and rootstocks. She coordinates national programmes on climate change, such as Laccave, analysing its impacts and developing adaptation strategies for the wine sector. She advocates a multidisciplinary approach, promoting collaboration between climatologists, oenologists, geneticists, agronomists and economists, in order to propose practical adaptation solutions for the wine sector.

Ecophysiology and Functional Genomics of the Grapevine : Dr Nathalie Ollat, Pr Cornelis van Leeuwen, Dr Laure de Rességuier, Dr Clément Saint-Cast, Pr Philippe Gallusci, Dr Sabine Guillaumie, Dr Marina de Miguel, Dr Cyril Abadie, Dr Virginie Lauvergeat, Pr Gregory Gambetta,

UR Œnology : Dr Cécile Thibon, Dr Alexandre Pons

Institutional partners : ISVV, INRAE, Bordeaux Sciences Agro

 

Key figures

Start-up 2025

4 theses, 1 post-doc, 10 Master's students

 

scientific ambitions

Area 1 – Water, soil and rootstocks: To understand the interactions between rootstocks, soil and the vine’s ability to transport water in order to improve drought resistance, and to guide choices regarding rootstock/terroir combinations for wine-growing estates.

Area 2 – Climatic stress and grape quality: To study the sensitivity of grape varieties to high temperatures and combined stresses, identify biomarkers of resilience, and understand the physiological and genetic mechanisms involved in preserving grape quality.

Axis 3 – Training and support for adaptation strategies: To support the sector in developing adaptation plans through training, climate data and simulations, collaborative workshops and experiments, whilst promoting networking amongst wine-growing estates at national and international level

Results and work

 

Charly Beaufreton – PhD thesis 2025-2028

Characterisation and modelling of root traits and their impact on hydraulic conductivity to identify drought-tolerant rootstocks; preliminary work: development of a protocol for phenotyping root anatomy and a study of the genetic diversity of wild Vitis roots; Master’s in Plant Genetics and Breeding (Rennes 1 / Institut Agro)

Louis Delval – Postdoctoral research 2025–2027

Soil–root interactions and root traits regulating transpiration in response to water stress; preliminary work: investigation of the effect of soil texture and hydraulic conductivity on transpiration in grapevines; PhD, University of Louvain-la-Neuve

Chloé Tomiche-Dutoit – PhD thesis 2025-2028

Adaptation of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to multiple stresses (heat, CO₂) using eco-physiological and metabolomic approaches; preliminary study: investigation of the response of grape berries to thermal stress; EUR-Organic Master’s programme (Hohenheim / BOKU)

Camille Pery – Phd thesis 2027-2029

Assessment of the productive capacity of vineyard soils using geophysical methods and machine learning; prior to this: research into coastal and agricultural ecosystems; training in statistics and Big Data (INP Bordeaux); Master’s degree in Aquatic Ecosystem Dynamics (University of Pau and the Pays de l’Adour)

 

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