Key message Centuries of clonal propagation have shaped remarkable intra-varietal genetic diversity in grapevine, offering valuable opportunities to dissect complex traits and accelerate genetic improvement while safeguarding varietal integrity. Abstract Climate change poses significant challenges to global grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L.) production, highlighting the urgent need for adaptive breeding strategies to accelerate ge...

Grapevine has been clonally propagated for thousands of years. Though clonal propagation aims at maintaining varietal identity, somatic mutations and epigenetic modifications accumulated over hundreds to thousands of years lead to intra-varietal diversity. This intra-varietal variation is a very valuable resource in grapevine breeding, as it creates the opportunity to improve important traits related to yield, phenology, stres...