Looking to reduce or eliminate treatments?
Nathy is a program for the selection and creation of naturally disease-resistant varieties, developed through natural crossings. This program is conducted by our teams in collaboration with recognized hybridizers.
All varieties in the Nathy range share four common characteristics: a quality level suitable for 100% winemaking, superior resistance, a robust genetic structure to minimize the risk of disease breakthrough, and agronomic quality and stability that winemakers can rely on.
benefits for viticulture
Environmental respect: reduce the number of treatments on your vineyard or in buffer zones. With only two preventive treatments per year, the environmental impact of wines produced is lower than that of conventional varieties grown according to organic standards. Nathy-approved varieties are fully suitable for no-treatment zone.
Securing organic wine production: maintain quality/price balance under all climatic conditions. With only two preventive treatments per year following organic standards, Nathy varieties retain yield and quality regardless of climatic conditions.
PROCESS and skills involved
Hybridization: depending on the program, Novatech conducts its own crossings or works in collaboration with globally recognized hybridizers.
Genetic selection (marker-assisted laboratory work) : for each new candidate variety, Novatech relies on the expertise of a geneticist and a genetic sequencer. This step allows rapid and efficient selection of candidate varieties that carry the desired resistance and quality genes. Novatech is currently the only selection center in France with these capabilities.
Sanitary analysis: systematically, selected candidate varieties undergo PCR testing to validate their sanitary quality. This is routinely handled by Novatech’s analysis department.
Experimental multiplication : enough plants of the selected variety are rapidly multiplied for evaluation under real conditions.
Field selection (evaluation and monitoring of experimental plots) : each new variety is technically evaluated and characterized to confirm it meets the set objectives (quality, resistance, stability). This expertise is routinely handled by Novatech’s selection department, already responsible for Unik, private, and clonal massal selections. Novatech is currently the only private French selection center.
Oenological evaluation: after field selection, retained varieties undergo microvinification for 3 consecutive years. A panel of experts evaluates the enological potential of each selection.
Protection and registration: selected varieties that meet Nathy objectives are proposed for registration, essential for market release and intellectual property protection (compensating the breeder and selector).
Field follow-up (winemaker user): all approved Nathy varieties are subject to technical monitoring on users’ vineyards to continuously improve the selection process
Available varieties
NATHY-Sauvignac is the first resistant variety in this range, registered in 2020 and now included in the specifications of several IGP and AOP. Twenty-two additional highly promising varieties are in the DHS - VATE registration process, and over 1,000 others are under evaluation.
Nathy varieties are registered by Mercier Novatech and multiplied exclusively by licensed nurseries. The use of Nathy varieties is subject to conditions; refer to the user agreement provided by the authorized multiplier. Nathy is a registered trademark.
Licensed nurseries
The naturally resistant varieties from the Nathy program are protected. Their distribution is entrusted exclusively to licensed nurseries.
