THE WOODS, NEW ALLIES OF THE VINEYARDS

With the conference " Wine and the forest - Trees that are good for the vineyards " held by Stefano Lorenzi , arborist, and Luca Mamprin , forestry doctor, with the participation of Ruggero Mazzilli , founder of Speviss and the Chianti Biodistrict, Castello di Meleto set out to address a very current topic, asking himself a question: how can the forest positively influence the vineyard by creating a perfect ecosystem?

The event opened with the speech of Michele Contartese , Director of Castello di Meleto and councilor of the Chianti Biodistrict and the Chianti Organic District , an ambitious project that involves self-regulation on environmental issues and the promotion of good practices.

Ruggero Mazzilli focused on the centrality of territoriality and how certain balances are unstable. « Territoriality cannot be created but can be destroyed and territorial viticulture means measuring oneself against nature every day and intervening less but better. A fundamental value is given by biodiversity which also allows the wine product to be enriched. Agriculture enters the territory, agriculture enters the mechanisms of nature » stated Mazzilli.

Keyword: biodiversity . The interventions by Stefano Lorenzi and Luca Mamprin focused on the importance of creating and protecting biodiversity and trees know how to increase both plant and animal biodiversity .

The forest creates the ideal living conditions for a vineyard , «the trees, in fact, shade the rows preventing the bunches from getting burned, the main problem of the last twenty vintages, they guarantee constant humidity, dampen the force of the wind and reduce the impact of hail ", underlined the speakers. « Nonetheless, the trees allow us to better understand the potential of the vineyard by creating a wealth of species that inhabit it and all around it and to develop many more forms of spontaneous yeasts on the grapes ». Of vital importance for this scenario of richness are pollinators, good insects, and birds, capable of naturally combating species harmful to the vineyards.

Lorenzi and Mamprin then gave the producers food for thought. « The vineyard is only 10% of the system and it is therefore crucial to decentralize this interest and recreate the organism to combat climate change by re-establishing a balance . It would also be important to rebalance the relationship between urban areas and agricultural areas, a much more complex plan if left only to the individual ." However, nothing is lost, because in their own small way, winemakers can restore the balance of the environment surrounding the vineyard system, returning to nature a triumph of versatility and biodiversity.