Optimising water management in vineyards
98% of Priorat’s vineyards suffer from water shortages, which affects grape production and quality; a situation that adds to the lack of information about good practices in irrigation.
Over a 3-year period the soil moisture of the plots will be monitored, parameters will be measured directly on the vines and the quality of the grapes will be evaluated. This will make it possible to optimise management of the irrigation by making adaptations according to the conditions of each vineyard.
Efficient use of pesticides
Currently, the region is highly affected by vine pests and diseases, forcing the intensive use of chemicals.
To avoid the use of these products, which have an adverse impact on human health and the environment, an integrated pest management programme will be implemented based on cooperation between grape growers, VITEC technicians and the DOM and DOQP Plant Defence Association.
Efficient use of fertilisers
The soil of Priorat is typically poor in nutrients, a factor that grape producers combat with the periodic use of fertilizers to maintain grape production and quality levels.
This action aims to prioritise the use of organic fertilisers, as well as optimise their use with the appropriate dose at the most optimal time, depending on the conditions of each zone.
Optimisation in the use of water, energy and materials in wineries
The information collected by VITEC shows that the wine production process in the Priorat region can improve in terms of resource consumption and waste generation.
This action plans to identify opportunities for improvement of this process and generation of a series of techniques and guidelines.
Information on the carbon footprint of wine
Wineries and consumers will be informed about the environmental profile of Priorat’s wine, for which PEF methodology will be applied, as recommended by the European Commission to communicate the environmental impacts caused by a product throughout its life cycle. This methodology will be applied for the average representative wine of the region.
Promotion of sustainable wine tourism
The strong relationship between the wine sector and tourism in Priorat offers a real opportunity to create the right balance between the well-being of tourists, the needs of the natural environment and the development and competitiveness of the Priorat region and its wineries. In turn, it allows an integrated approach to achieve sustainable and competitive wine tourism.
Sustainable wine tourism is expected to be a significant source of motivation for wineries to reduce the carbon footprint of their wine production and to communicate this competitive advantage to their consumers.
Transfer of project results
The EU wine-producing regions and wineries that could benefit from the results of the LIFE Priorat+Montsant project will be identified in order to convey the acquired knowledge:
- In vineyards: irrigation, phytosanitary factors and fertilisation
- In wineries: optimising of consumption of resources and carbon footprint
- In wine tourism