Statement on France's Grapevine Certification System for Replant Initiatives - March 2025
With the need to replant many vineyards across the majority of Canada’s main grape growing regions, it is more important than ever to ensure that vineyards are being replaced with certified clean, virus-tested plant material that growers can have confidence in. In response to this need, governments have launched vineyard replant programs to help growers plant vines that improve the quality, production, and marketability of the fruit, while ultimately contributing to a more competitive and resilient domestic industry. To accomplish these objectives, replant program administrators have identified eligibility criteria that includes the requirement that vines must be purchased from approved certified sources for applicants to receive reimbursement.
When program guidelines were being developed, the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network (CGCN-RCCV) was asked to act in an advisory role to recommend grapevine certification systems in Canada and the USA that meet these criteria. At the same time, prompted by industry demand, CGCN-RCCV initiated a formal review of France’s grapevine certification system to determine if their protocols meet a similar standard to potentially be included in the list of approved certified sources for replant program criteria. This statement outlines the results of that formal review.
Please feel free to download this statement and share it with anyone that would find it useful.
NOTE: This statement serves only as a consultative letter of advice, NOT a final decision on vine eligibility for each provincial replanting initiative. Vine eligibility criteria are established by the administrators of each respective replant program. Additionally, this statement DOES NOT change or influence the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) vine importing requirements.