Saturday, 4 April, 2026
The Drinks Business, Sophie Arundel
A 600-year-old grape seed discovered in the toilet of a medieval hospital in France has been identified as genetically identical to modern pinot noir, offering rare insight into the longevity of one of the world’s most popular grape varieties.
The finding, first reported by CBS/AFP, suggests that the cultivation of Pinot Noir in France dates back at least to the 1400s, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.
A link between past and present
The seed was uncovered in a latrine at a 15th-century hospital in Valenciennes, northern France, where toilets were sometimes used as rubbish pits. Researchers sequenced its DNA and found a direct genetic match with present-day pinot noir.
“It is not possible to say whether the fruit was eaten like table grapes or whether people made wine from it at the time,” said study co-author Laurent Bouby of the Institute of Evolutionary Science of Montpellier, speaking to AFP.
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