WHEN BIODIVERSITY IS GOOD FOR WINE

Climate, soil, vines, and people: these are the four elements generally referred to in the definition of terroir. Another factor, however, contributes to making the difference: biodiversity, or the microflora and microfauna present in the environment and especially in the soil. Today, this parameter is measurable thanks to Biopass , a multidisciplinary study developed by Sata Studio Agronomico of Brescia and adopted by Villa Franciacorta since 2015. Biopass (biodiversity, landscape, health, soil) is a protocol that involves a vineyard-by-vineyard survey to measure biodiversity and understand how plants communicate and interact with other life forms. This work allows us to identify the most balanced and resilient vineyards , which also provide the best foundations during harvest, but also helps younger vines develop ways to adapt to various possible stressors.

" The 2025 harvest will be remembered as one of the best in recent years, with a trend very similar to that of the 1980s. The balance of the individual vineyards, measured with Biopass, allowed us to manage the harvest, leaving the plots with the greatest adaptability for last, thanks to their rich biodiversity and, consequently, organic matter," says Roberta Bianchi, who manages Villa Franciacorta with her husband Paolo and sons Alessio and Matteo. "A soil rich in life allows the plants to express themselves at their best, producing extraordinary grapes, where phenolic and technological ripeness coincide, despite the harvest at Villa Franciacorta being among the last in the entire area. The climate pattern and the characteristic day-night temperature variations of this place have guaranteed a harvest with textbook parameters ."

How Biopass works: The method involves analyzing the subsoil through sight, touch, and smell to determine the health status of the roots and the plant itself. This is complemented by a census of health indicator organisms and traditional chemical-physical laboratory investigations, with in-depth analysis of the evolution of organic matter in its various forms.

< > Says Pierluigi Donna, agronomist at Sata. < Roberta Bianchi concludes: " This approach includes a focus on agroforestry and above-ground structural biodiversity, in collaboration with the Agrofood Research Hub of the University of Brescia."

Biopass therefore includes more than just VSA and chemical-physical analyses: with Sata, alternative methods for assessing soil texture and vitality are being tested. Furthermore, QBS-ar (biological soil quality) analysis is being conducted to census "microarthropods," invertebrates important for soil health. This ongoing project, starting in Franciacorta, is destined to revolutionize the approach to vineyard management. This study could also make a difference in defining grape quality, with the goal of obtaining the best foundation for Villa Franciacorta vintage wines.