The French agronomist and oenologist Dr Jean-Michel Boursiquot (*1958) comes from a family of winegrowers in the Charente department (Cognac area). He studied at the University of Montpellier under the ampelographer Pierre Galet (1921-2019), whose successor he became. As scientific director of the "Français de la Vigne et du Vin" department, he taught and published in the subjects of ampelography with the areas of genetics and breeding, rootstocks, interspecific hybrids and French and international grape varieties. Boursiquot has held important positions such as OIV Vice-President (2001-2003), President of the Viticulture Commission (1997-2000), President of the expert group "Genetic Resources and Vine-Selection" (2004), INAO member of the National Wine Committee and UPOV National Expert.
He has been honoured several times for his many services, for example by the French Ministry of Agriculture with the "Ordre du Mérite Abgricole" (2003) and by the OIV with the "Medal of Merit" (2005). In collaboration with the University of California, from the 1990s onwards he played a key role in tracing the origins of many French grape varieties using DNA analyses, with particular mention of the numerous Pinot varieties and their descendants. He works closely with Dr Carole Meredith and Thierry Lacombe. See also under winegrowing personalities.
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