Note: Piwi (Pilzwiderstandsfähige) is a German term to define vine varieties that have been described previously as hybrids, direct producers, interspecific, disease-resistant or disease-tolerant.

Piwi cultivars have originated from cross-breeding (without the aid of gene implants) between European cultivars (Vitis vinifera) and disease resistant American Vitis species; although some newer crossings are more complex and a few contain Vitis amurensis genes from Russia / Asia.
The cultivars that are still known as hybrids or direct producers were bred between 1880 and 1935 in France.

Piwi implies a certain resistance or tolerance towards the fungal diseases that are present locally or worldwide. Such diseases infect all pure Vitis vinifera cultivars (e.g. Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Riesling etc.) where an out-of-control infestation can lead to total crop loss. These vinifera varieties need to be sprayed with approved fungicides 6 to 10 times during the growing season; the fungicides inevitably enter our environment.

The most important varieties are listed below. A list with many new crossings from Hungary and Switzerland can be found on: http://www.piwi-international.org/index.

Wine quality has always been a real concern with the new Piwi varieties.
Annual wine tasting competition results from piwi-international.org have indicated varieties that have been vinified to produce wines of high quality.

  'Red grape' varieties: the highlighted varieties are suitable for cool climates:-

 Accent (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Acolon
 Artaban (French, Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Baron (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Bolero (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Cabernet Cantor (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Cabernet Carbon (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Cabernet Carol (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Cabernet Cortis (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Cabernet Cubin
 Cabernet Dorio
 Cabernet Dorsa
 Cabernet Franc
 Cabernet Jura (Swiss, Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Cabernet Mitos
 Cabernet Noir (Swiss, Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Cabernet Sauvignon
 Calandro (Gf) (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Dakapo
 Divico (Swiss, Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Dornfelder
 Dunkelfelder
 Frühburgunder (known in UK as Pinot Noir Precoce)
 Gamay
 Lagrein
 Laurot (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Merlot
 Monarch (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Muskat Bleu (Swiss, Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Pinot Meunier
 Pinot Noir
 Pinotin (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Portugieser
 Prior (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Reberger (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Regent (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Rondo (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 St. Laurent
 Syrah
 Vidoc (French, Piwi/disease-resistant)

  'White grape' varieties: the highlighted varieties are suitable for cool climates:-

 Auxerrois
 Bacchus
 Bianca (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Bocat (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Breidecker (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Bronner (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Cabernet Blanc (Swiss, Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Calardis Blanc (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Calardis Musqué (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Chardonnay
 Chasselas blanc (Gutedel) or Chasselas rose
 Chenin Blanc
 Faberrebe
 Felicia (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Findling
 Floreal (French, Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Freisamer
 Gewürztraminer
 Glera (Prosecco)
 Gm 8107-3 (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Helios (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Hibernal (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Huxelrebe
 Johanniter (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Kerner
 Kernling
 Madeleine Angevine 7672
 Merzling (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Müller-Thurgau
 Muscaris (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Muscat a petit grains
 Muscat Ottonel
 Orion (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Ortega
 Perle von Zala
 Phoenix (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Pinot Blanc
 Pinot Gris
 Primera (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Prinzipal (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 ReCell (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Reichensteiner
 Riesling
 Saphira (Piwi/disease-resistant) /
 Sauvignon Blanc
 Scheurebe
 Schönburger
 Seyval Blanc (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Siegerrebe
 Sirius (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Silvaner
 Solaris (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Souvignier Gris (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Staufer (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Villaris (Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Viognier
 Voltis (French, Piwi/disease-resistant)
 Würzer
 Zalagyöngye (Piwi/disease-resistant)

And some old French hybrid (direct producer) varieties:-

  'Red grape' varieties:

 Baco Noir
 Cascade (Seibel 13.053)
 Chambourcin
 Chancellor (Seibel 7053, by Albert Seibel)
 Colobel (Seibel 8357, by Albert Seibel)
 Couderc Noir (C 7120, by Georges Couderc)
 De Chaunac (Seibel 9549)
 Garonnet (Seyve-Villard 18.283)
 Léon Millot
 Maréchal Foch
 Oberlin Noir (Oberlin 595)
 Plantet (Seibel 5455, by Albert Seibel)
 Ravat Noir (Ravat 262)
 Rosette (Seibel 1000)
 Rougeon (Seibel 5898)
 Seinoir (Seibel 8745)
 Triomphe d'Alsace
 Varousset (Seyve-Villard 23.657)
 Villard Noir (Seyve-Villard 18.315, by Bertille Seyve und Victor Villard)

  'White grape' varieties:

 Aurore (Seibel 5279)
 Baco Blanc (Baco 22A by François Baco)
 Chelois (Seibel 10.878)
 Ravat Blanc (Ravat 6)
 Rayon d'or (Seibel 4986, by Albert Seibel)
 Soleil blanc
 Verdelet (Seibel 9110)
 Vidal Blanc
 Vignoles (Ravat 51)
 Villard Blanc (Seyve-Villard 12.375, by Bertille Seyve und Victor Villard)

www.winegrowers.info