The Old Vine Registry Launches the OVR Seal

New global program lets wine producers and the trade connect a wine directly to the documented old vineyard behind it

1 October 2026

The Old Vine Registry (OVR), the world's largest and most authoritative public database of old vineyards, today launched the OVR Seal. The program lets registered producers and the trade put a vineyard's documented old-vine status in front of consumers directly, via wine labels, digital marketing materials, and more.

A wine qualifies for the OVR Seal when at least 85% of its grapes come from vineyards registered in the Old Vine Registry, at one of five age tiers, 35+, 50+, 75+, 100+, or 150+ years. 

"The Old Vine Registry exists to build demand for old-vine wines so that vineyards stay in the ground instead of getting pulled out and replanted. The OVR Seal helps consumers connect a wine to the specific vineyard behind it and learn more about that set of vines," said Alder Yarrow, Architect and Manager of the Old Vine Registry.

Ten producers across seven countries will be among the first to use the seal. Several are already showing it on their websites and tech sheets ahead of today's launch, with use on bottle labels coming soon as new vintages are released.

“We’re honored to be among the first wineries to adopt the Old Vine Seal and believe it will help consumers better understand the value for our old vine wines,” said Andy Robinson, Winemaker for Seghesio Family Vineyards. “As stewards of 131-year-old vines, we know how vital it is to preserve these historic vineyards and share the stories behind them. We look forward to putting the seal on our labels, tasting room menus and website to help tell that story.”

“At Plaimont, preserving old vines, biodiversity and the vine heritage of Gascony and the Pyrenean foothills has been a long-standing commitment,” said Olivier Bourdet-Pees, Directeur Général of Plaimont. “The Old Vine Registry Seal now gives us a new way to bring this heritage closer to consumers and to tell the story of the vines behind our wines.”

Other early adopters of the seal include Bedrock Wine Company in Sonoma, Garage Wine Company in Chile, AYA Estate in Bulgaria, Sown Estate in Napa, Methymnaeos Organic Wines in Greece, Ciclo Andino and Versado in Argentina, and Woolridge Creek Winery in Oregon.

"The Old Vine Registry has always been about identifying old vineyards, helping the trade value them, and protecting them," Yarrow said. "That work already matters to the industry and wine connoisseurs, but it means even more when a winery can point to a registration and the average consumer can actually see it. The OVR Seal is how the Registry's mission reaches the shelf."

The OVR Seal doesn't certify wine quality, sustainability, or farming practices. It confirms that a vineyard of a specific age has been recorded in the Registry and that a wine's grapes meet the sourcing and age threshold shown on the seal. Consumers get a documented vineyard they can look up for themselves.

The Seal is available now for any permitted use, including wine packaging. Registration requires a qualifying vineyard in the Registry and a one-time fee of $300, designed to make the seal accessible even to the world's smallest producers.

Registration is available at: www.oldvineregistry.org.

About the Old Vine Registry

The Old Vine Registry (www.oldvineregistry.org) is the world's largest and most authoritative public database of vineyards aged more than 35 years, with more than 12,500 vineyards registered across 43 countries. Initiated by Jancis Robinson in 2010, the Registry launched publicly in 2024 as a crowd-sourced resource, supported by a founding donation from Jackson Family Wines and managed by Alder Yarrow of Vinography. The Registry is owned and operated by the Old Vine Registry Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to establishing a credible global category for old-vine wines and communicating their cultural and viticultural value.