(Telegraph) - France to plant huge genetic bank of half the world's grape varieties in soil 30 metres above sea level to avoid risk of destruction from rising sea levels.

France is to build a new “Louvre of the grape vine” to house over half of the world’s grape varieties in a bid to safeguard wine diversity for future generations.

The country first started trying to safely store the world’s grape vines in the mid-19th century in the wake of the Phylloxera plague of aphids that wiped out many of the country’s grape-growing plants.

In 1949, the plants were taken to the Domaine de Vassal, a spit of sandy land on the southern coast between Agde and Sète immune from pest attack.

Each year, some 80 new varieties were added and today it is home to 7,500 types from 54 countries.

But the vines are under threat.

“Vassal is only one metre above sea-level. Rising water levels due to global warming could submerge us,” Thierry Lacombe, engineer at Inra national agriculture institute told AFP.

The plan to move them was hampered by a protracted row over where the precious varieties should be relocated, with critics warning rare vines could be irreparably damaged en route.

Finally, the green light has been given for the precious vines to be transferred to Pech Rouge at Gruissan, some 30 metres above sea level, at a white chalk cliff.

It is here on 163 hectares (403 acres) of soil that the world’s genetic vine bank will be transferred and expanded. Grapes include the near-extinct oeillade noire, or the chatus from the Cévennes, as well as newly-created cross-breeds resistant to disease.

The local region and state have agreed to stump up up to three million euros to fund the new location.

The area will be cleared in 2017 and the transfer of vines will start the following year, taking five years to plant them all.

As well as preserving grape varieties from destruction, the new site will be used to conduct experiments on grapes threatened with global warming.

Experts have already recently come across some lost treasures, including a variety that is naturally mature at 10 degrees Celsius rather than 14 degrees Celsius – that could counter rising alcohol levels due to global warming.