Abbreviation for Vitis International Variety Catalogue, a comprehensive database on grape varieties of the genus Vitis. It was founded in 1983 by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grapevine Breeding in Siebeldingen-Pfalz (Germany). This is one of the sites of the Julius Kühn Institute in Quedlinburg (Saxony-Anhalt). The foundation stone for this database was laid by Professor Dr. Dr. Gerhardt Erich Alleweldt (1927-2005) with the support of the OIV (Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin). The database www.vivc.de has been freely accessible on the Internet since 1996. The aim is to provide comprehensive documentation on all grape varieties as a source of information for grower, researchers, winegrowers, etc. The VIVC database contains more than 24,000 entries on around 10,000 grape varieties.
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