Author Archives: The Old Vine Conference

Old Vine Registry Nears 9,400 Vineyards as 1991 Plantings Become Eligible

Volunteer researchers and leading wine importers fuel rapid expansion of global old-vine database

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 13, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Old Vine Registry, the world’s largest and most authoritative database of historic vine plantings, has entered the new year with 9,393 registered vineyards across 42 countries, reflecting a surge of new contributions over the past twelve months.

Image caption: The Old Vine Registry.

With the turn of the calendar year, vineyards planted in 1991 have now reached the 35-year threshold and are newly eligible for inclusion. Producers and growers are encouraged to submit qualifying vineyards at https://www.oldvineregistry.org/.

Much of the Registry’s recent growth has been driven by volunteer researchers and the direct contribution of vineyard data from leading wine importers, including Skurnik Wines, Becky Wasserman & Co., Winebow, and others. Their participation has significantly deepened coverage in several of Europe’s most historically important regions, including the Rhône Valley, Burgundy, and Bordeaux.

This growth has also been supported by the Heritage Vine Hunt Contest, an ongoing global initiative encouraging the public to identify and document historic vineyards worldwide, with participants eligible for prizes while contributing to the preservation of viticultural heritage.

The Registry’s expanding scope aligns closely with the OIV’s Resolution OIV-VITI 703-2024, “OIV definition and recommendations about old grapevines and old vineyards in the vitivinicultural sector,” which explicitly encourages wine regions worldwide to catalogue and document their old vines.

“The Registry was built on the idea that preservation starts with visibility,” says wine writer Alder Yarrow, who manages the project day to day. “What’s been most encouraging is seeing how producers, importers, and volunteers have all stepped in to help make that visibility real.”

The Old Vine Registry will host its annual update webinar on 30 June at 17:00 BST / 09:00 PST, during which the yearly winners of the Heritage Vine Hunt contest will be announced alongside a new initiative. Registration details will be circulated one month prior to the event.

The Registry continues to welcome volunteer researchers and financial supporters interested in sustaining the non-profit initiative. Interested parties may contact oldvineregistry@gmail.com.

About the Old Vine Registry

The Old Vine Registry is the world’s largest public database cataloguing vineyards aged more than 35 years. Originally initiated by Jancis Robinson, the Registry launched publicly in 2024 as a crowd-sourced resource, supported by a founding donation from Jackson Family Wines and managed by Alder Yarrow of Vinography. The Registry operates under the aegis of The Old Vine Conference, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to establishing a credible global category for old-vine wines and communicating their cultural and viticultural value.

Contact:
Alder Yarrow, Manager, The Old Vine Registry
oldvineregistry@gmail.com
+1-415-730-3209

Conference info link: https://www.oldvines.org/

NEWS SOURCE: The Old Vine Conference

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (The Old Vine Conference), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/old-vine-registry-nears-9400-vineyards-as-1991-plantings-become-eligible/

Old Vine Registry Passes 4,000 entries: Vineyards planted in 1990 now eligible for inclusion

Wine growers are encouraged to submit their vineyards to the global crowd-sourced database that continues to grow and thrive

LONDON, England, Jan. 27, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Old Vine Registry, the world’s first and most authoritative database of old vine vineyards marked the new year having accumulated more than 4,000 entries from 39 countries, making steady progress to a goal of registering 10,000 vineyards by 2027.

Image caption: Old Vine Registry home page.

With the changing of the year, vineyards planted in 1990 are now 35 years old and are eligible for inclusion in the registry. Producers are encouraged to submit their vineyards at https://www.oldvineregistry.org/.

The OIV’s recently passed Resolution OIV-VITI 703-2024 “OIV definition and recommendations about old grapevines and old vineyards in the vitivinicultural sector” made the explicit recommendation to all wine regions around the world to “promote and encourage the cataloguing of old vineyards and old grapevines.”

The Old Vine Registry was conceived expressly for that purpose, with the idea that in order to study, preserve, or support old vines around the world, you first need to know where they all are. The registry launched in June of 2023 with 2183 entries and has grown steadily over the last year and a half.

“The recent OIV Resolution really validated what we’re doing,” says wine writer Alder Yarrow, who serves as the day-to-day manager of the registry. “I hope it will encourage both individual producers and whole regions to publish information about their old vines.”

The Old Vine Registry is also seeking both volunteers willing to research old vineyards, as well as financial donors willing to support the non-profit project. Interested parties should e-mail oldvineregistry@gmail.com.

About The Old Vine Registry:

The Old Vine Registry is the world’s first and largest database cataloguing vineyards aged more than 35 years of age around the world. The registry aims to be a resource for the wine industry, academia, and consumers to discover and learn about old vineyards, as well as a conduit for the sale of wines made from these vineyards. Originally started by Jancis Robinson, the Registry launched as a crowd-sourced, public resource on the web in June of 2024, funded by a donation from Jackson Family Wines and managed by Alder Yarrow of Vinography.Com. The site is owned by The Old Vine Conference, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to building a credible category for old vine wines and a community that sustains and communicates its value. Learn more: https://www.oldvineregistry.org/.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Belinda Stone at The Old Vine Conference
belinda@oldvines.org
+44 (0)7903 804227

NEWS SOURCE: The Old Vine Conference

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/old-vine-registry-passes-4000-entries-vineyards-planted-in-1990-now-eligible-for-inclusion/

Old Vine Registry Marks One Year Anniversary and Announces Heritage Vine Hunt Contest

LONDON, U.K. /ScoopCloud/ -- To mark the first anniversary of its launch, the Old Vine Registry held a One-Year-On webinar for the wine trade, media and old-vine enthusiasts. The hosts, Old Vine Registry Manager, Alder Yarrow, and co-founder of The Old Vine Conference, Sarah Abbott MW, announced a growth in old-vine listings of more than 1,000 new vineyards in one year; this increase of 49% brought the total number of vineyards catalogued to 3,279, across 36 countries.

"I'm really pleased with the progress that we've made so far," said Yarrow. "More than 200 individuals from around the world have submitted vineyard data, as well as some larger regional organizations. That said, we're still just scratching the surface of the old vine universe."

To ensure the continued growth and impact of the Old Vine Registry, the team have conceived a campaign to catalogue 10,000 vineyards in the next three years, which was announced during the webinar.

"In order for The Old Vine Registry to keep growing and deepen its impact we need to keep it in the minds of the global wine community. That's why we have launched the Heritage Vine Hunt Contest which aims to incentivise individuals to help us log, promote and protect more old vineyards," said Sarah Abbott MW.

Over the next three years, prizes will be awarded yearly to the individuals who contribute the most vineyard entries to the Registry. Prizes have been donated by wine industry leaders including Wine Scholar Guild, JancisRobinson.com, The Old Vine Conference, World of Fine Wine magazine, Académie du Vin Library and Vinous. Like Wikipedia, the Registry depends on the submission of vineyard data by interested parties who own or can search out vineyard data.

After three years, the individual who has contributed the most vineyards will receive the Grand Prize, which includes a travel bursary to attend an Old Vine Conference field trip, which are held around the world. Covering airfare, hotel, meals, and registration, this bursary has a value of more than US $2,000.

"We hope these prizes will incentivize some people to do a bit of research and contribute more vineyards," said Yarrow. "It's not that hard to dig up information on old vineyards, it just takes a little time and effort, and now with the contest we can reward some of that effort with great prizes and, of course, an immersive and educational trip to learn more about the significance of the world's viticultural heritage."

Contest winners will be announced yearly on the anniversary of the Registry's launch. More details on the Heritage Vine Hunt contest can be found at: https://oldvineregistry.org/contest
Watch the Anniversary webinar and contest announcement here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQqDY9Kw_Yg

About The Old Vine Registry:

The Old Vine Registry is the world's first and largest database cataloguing vineyards aged more than 35 years of age around the world. The registry aims to be a resource for the wine industry, academia, and consumers to discover and learn about old vineyards, as well as a conduit for the sale of wines made from these vineyards. Originally started by Jancis Robinson, the Registry launched as a crowd-sourced, public resource on the web in June of 2023, funded by a donation from Jackson Family Wines and managed by Alder Yarrow of Vinography.Com.

The site is owned by The Old Vine Conference, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to building a credible category for old vine wines and a community that sustains and communicates its value.

Learn more: https://www.oldvineregistry.org/

CONTEST PRIZES:

The grand prize winner at the end of year three will receive:

> A travel bursary covering flights, hotels, meals and tickets to attend a future Old Vine Conference Field Trip (past trips have included Jumilla, Sicily, and more)

> A lifetime membership to the Old Vine Conference

> A full set of wine maps from Vinous

> A copy of The Essence of Wine by Alder Yarrow

> A set of 6 Jancis Robinson x Richard Brendon wine glasses

The annual winners of the first and second years will receive:

> A 2-year Gold Membership to JancisRobinson.com

> A 2-year Wine Scholar Guild membership

> A year's subscription to World of Fine Wine magazine

> A selection of titles from the Académie du Vin Library

> A year's individual membership to the Old Vine Conference

The annual second-place winners at the end of the first and second years will receive:

> A set of 2 Jancis Robinson x Richard Brendon wine glasses

> A year's individual membership to the Old Vine Conference

The annual third-place contestants at the end of the first and second years will receive:

> A year's individual membership to the Old Vine Conference.

To mark the first anniversary of its launch, the Old Vine Registry held a One-Year-On webinar for the wine trade, media and old-vine enthusiasts. The hosts, Old Vine Registry Manager, Alder Yarrow, and co-founder of The Old Vine Conference, Sarah Abbott MW, announced a growth in old-vine listings of more than 1,000 new vineyards in one year; this increase of 49% brought the total number of vineyards catalogued to 3,279, across 36 countries.

Related link: https://www.oldvines.org/

Digitalised Old Vine Registry Launches to Global Wine Community Via Live Webinar

LONDON, U.K. /ScoopCloud/ -- On Monday, June 26, thought-leaders and pioneers in the realm of old vines hosted a live webinar to launch The Old Vine Registry: the world's most comprehensive database of living historic vineyard sites, The Old Vine Conference announced today. The Old Vine Registry, which is free to view, is an evolution of what started as a simple spreadsheet and has been completely digitalised to become an unmatched resource for the global wine industry, the academic world, and wine lovers around the globe.

470 people registered to attend the one-hour live webinar which reached 35 countries around the world. Jancis Robinson MW, Sarah Abbott MW and California-based wine writer Alder Yarrow were joined by Founder & Chairperson of The Old Vine Project in South Africa Rosa Kruger, VP of Wine Education at Jackson Family Wines Gilian Handelman, and Senior Editor of JancisRobinson.com Tamlyn Currin. The panel used the webinar to unveil The Old Vine Registry website, explain how it is funded, how to use it and how the global wine community can help to keep it up to date.

"It's hard to find projects that feel this level of energy and are imbued with so much good will," explained Gilian Handelman, VP of Wine Education at Jackson Family Wines, whose charitable donation funded the initial build of the Old Vine Registry.

Alder Yarrow, Founder & Editor at Vinography.com is the architect behind the design and build of The Old Vine Registry and has driven the project from concept to realisation. Introducing his guide on how to use the Registry he explained, "We're launching the minimum viable product (MVP), there's plenty more that we know we would like to add and change but the purpose of an MVP is to get it into the hands of the people that will actually use it and hopefully will tell us what they would like to see added, changed and attributed to the site."

The Old Vine Registry is a search-based tool designed for users to search for anything they might be looking for in the realm of old vines but, explains Yarrow, "The real magic and benefit of The Old Vine Registry is the 'Find wines from this vineyard' functionality which directs the user to wine-searcher.com and closes the commercial loop that old vines desperately need. It's one thing to champion old vine vineyards and talk about their value but if no one is actually buying, tasting and enjoying the wines they will never be commercially viable and will eventually be ripped out."

Jancis Robinson MW started writing about the world's heritage of old vines more than 15 years ago and began documenting them in the form of a rudimentary spreadsheet with writer Tamlyn Currin. Over the years as the spreadsheet grew, so did knowledge of its existence so that wineries and growers would submit details of their old vines to be added to the list by Currin and wine blogger Benjamin Roelfs.

As of Monday 26th June the Old Vine Registry has 2,200 vineyards recorded from entries collected over 13 years. Portugal and Spain lead with 822 and 383 old vineyards registered respectively. The United States comes in third with 334 vineyards, followed by Australia and France with 208 and 142 respectively.

In her closing remarks at the launch of The Old Vine Registry Jancis Robinson MW gave a rallying call for action: 'I urge everybody to participate in the Old Vine Registry: visit it, explore it, enjoy it! Let's see this grow and let's see everyone's hard work, particularly that of Alder Yarrow, bear fruit to the benefit of all of us and to the world's beautiful old vines.'

The full recording of the webinar can be viewed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsD7AXpxnh0

The link to The Old Vine Registry is: https://www.oldvineregistry.org/

About:

Alder Yarrow, Founder & Editor at Vinography.com is the architect behind the design and build of The Old Vine Registry and has driven the project from concept to realisation. The raw data at the heart of the Registry has been provided by JancisRobinson.com and the ongoing stewardship of The Old Vine Registry lies with The Old Vine Conference. The development of the Old Vine Registry has been funded by a donation from Jackson Family Wines.

On Monday, June 26, thought-leaders and pioneers in the realm of old vines hosted a live webinar to launch The Old Vine Registry: the world's most comprehensive database of living historic vineyard sites, The Old Vine Conference announced today. The Old Vine Registry, which is free to view, is an evolution of what started as a simple spreadsheet and has been completely digitalised to become an unmatched resource for the global wine industry, the academic world, and wine lovers around the globe.

Related link: https://www.oldvines.org/