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The objective of the LIFE PRIORAT+MONTSANT Project is to demonstrate an innovative model of sustainable and high-quality wine production.
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The project co-financed by the European Union, through the LIFE program, has a budget of 1.5 million Euros.
Falset, 15 June 2017 – The LIFE PRIORAT+MONTSANT project “Efficient use of resources to improve sustainable winemaking in the Region of Priorat”, is co-financed by the European Union, through the LIFE programme, aimed at supporting demonstrative projects that contribute to sustainable development and compliance with the environmental policies of the EU and its Member States.
This initiative is led by a consortium of five entities, led by VITEC (Wine Technology Centre) which, together with the regulatory boards of the Montsant Denomination of Origin and the Priorat Qualified Denomination of Origin, the service company for sustainability Lavola 1981 S.A. and the Wine Technological Platform (PTV) will work for the next 4 years to develop and demonstrate a model of sustainable wine production in the region of Priorat, through the sustainable use of resources, which is subsequently reproducible in other Spanish and European wine regions.
In the last 30 years, the Catalan region of Priorat has become a model of international success in the production of high quality wines thanks to the careful elaboration of its wines and the exploitation of its wine, natural and cultural heritage. Today, in a context of growing international competition and an increasingly demanding and environmentally responsible market, the 170 wineries belonging to the region’s denominations of origin face new challenges related to the sustainability in the growing and elaboration of wines, as well as conservation of the natural environment and reduction of the environmental impact of the sector.
In this context, the LIFE PRIORAT+MONTSANT Project was founded, which is implemented during the period 2016-2020, with an investment of more than 1.5 million Euros. This European commitment to a model of sustainable wine production hopes to considerably reduce the use of resources, both in the field and in the wineries, including the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, replacing them with more environmentally friendly ones.
The project will also contribute to the implementation of strategies to reduce the environmental impact of the life cycle of wine produced in the Priorat region, by implementing the PEF WINE calculation rules (pilot of the EU initiative “Carbon Footprint of the Product”).
Another of the project’s innovations is to promote organic wine tourism, which involves the development of a model based on the principles of social, economic and environmental sustainability, which will help to promote the positioning of the Priorat Region as a sustainable wine destination.
Ultimately, as indicated by Sergi de Lamo, institutional manager and coordinator, the LIFE PRIORAT+MONTSANT project “is an innovative model for sustainable and high-quality wine production that will also provide the most appropriate foundation and tools in favour of sustainable wine tourism.”
About LIFE PRIORAT+MONTSANT
LIFE PRIORAT+ MONTSANT is a project that aims to develop and demonstrate a model for sustainable wine production in the region of Priorat through the application of a set of methodologies for the efficient use of natural resources throughout its value chain, which is subsequently reproducible in other wine-growing regions of the European Union.
This project is carried out by a consortium of five entities: the coordinator VITEC (Wine Technology Centre), the Montsant Denomination of Origin Regulatory Board, the Priorat Qualified Denomination of Origin Regulatory Board, the service company for sustainability Lavola 1981 S.A. and the Wine Technological Platform (PTV).
LIFE PRIORAT+ MONTSANT has an overall budget of € 1,529,153, receives financial contributions from the European Union’s LIFE+ programme and will run for four years from July 2016 to June 2020.