It all starts in the vineyards

Building bird and insect houses. Partnering with several departments at the Universidade do Minho, we are carrying out a study of the biodiversity in our vineyards. Through this study we are learning exactly what types of flora and fauna live among our vines, which can help us to better prevent and treat vineyard diseases. Additionally, this study has helped us to uncover our carbon footprint, and unexpectedly introduced us to a species of bird native to our Territory. With a greater comprehension of the ecosystem in our vineyards, we can adapt our strategies to make sure our actions always protect this delicate balance. As a result of this study, we are now building special bird and insect houses to benefit the local inhabitants.

Global warming and the highest Alvarinho vineyards in Portugal. In response to the ever-present threat posed by global warming, we are experimenting with how Alvarinho adapts to higher altitude vineyards and different soils. As the average temperature of our planet increases, it is important to find solutions. By testing how Alvarinho adapts to different altitudes, soils and microclimates, we can ensure that winemaking will continue, an important economic activity in our region. This resulted in the successful planting of the highest altitude vineyard of Alvarinho, ever.

Good soil, old vineyards. Our Soalheiro Innovation Centre works not only on the planting of new vineyards, but also the preserving of old ones. One of our ongoing projects focuses on keeping our oldest vines productive. In this project, we focus on improving the organic matter in the soil using mycorrhizas. These mycorrhizas work in symbiosis with plants that improve the microbean life of the soil, adding biological composts to the grapes’ leaves that improve the nutrition of our oldest plants.