Casa Vinicola Zonin is more and more involved in Sustainable Viticulture.
New Eco-Activities presented at the upcoming Prowein and Vinitaly
Respect and care for the environment are part of Casa Vinicola Zonin’s culture and philosophy.
Only precise attention to detail in every phase of winemaking, from the vineyard to the bottle, produce top class wines. Similarly, only care for the environment throughout the whole production process makes for high quality and sustainable wines.
Since 2008, we have adopted a rigorous sustainable business program. New key points of our constantly self – renovating “green” activities are:
- INNOVATIVE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS: Water is a valuable resource. It is a non-renewable asset whose availability is reducing and changing in relation to climate change and population growth. Casa Vinicola Zonin has adopted innovative irrigation systems, which ensure maximum efficiency of the use of water resources. Each irrigation system has a pressure bomb, also known as, Scholander bomb, which monitor the water levels of vines and ensures that the water is strictly used for irrigation purposes in order to maintain quality of grapes.
- GREEN MANURE: Our Castello d’Albola and Rocca di Montemassi Estates have re-introduced the traditional technique of green manure, which is a mixture of legumes and grass that is necessary for organic agriculture. Using the green manure technique in the vineyards, have decreased the use of mineral fertilization and agricultural machinery.
- PLANT MATERIAL CONTROL: The level of sustainability achieved in Zonin Estates regarding the management of pesticide treatments and storage of products has been an example to many Italian wine producers who consider us a market leader in this sector. All of our plant materials are strictly controlled and analyzed in laboratories. PCR Real-time is an innovative system that is used to monitor plant materials for potential virus.
- FORECASTING MODELS: All Zonin Estates have a control unit for meteorological data, which is located in the International Centre for Agrometeorology based in Switzerland. Provincial and regional monitoring networks collect the information. To reduce the use of pesticides and avoid unnecessary interventions, we carry on treatments according to the data coming from monitoring pathogens and parasites from the indicated forecasting models.
- BIOLOGICAL PEST CONTROL WITH TRICHODERMA SPP: Biological control is a method of controlling pests (including insects, mites, weeds, etc) using other living organisms. To ensure our plant fitness we use Trichoderma spp, a kind of Fungi that cause disease in insects (known as entomopathogenic fungi)and prevent wood desease
- MATING DISRUPTION: at Feudo Principi di Butera, Masseria Altemura and Rocca di Montemassi, in order to protect our vineyards from the dreaded vine moth larvae – that can cause significant damages to grapes – without using insecticides, we contain the populations of
this insect with a technique called “mating disruption” .In order to be fertilized, the female moths release of sex hormones (or pheromones) that enable males to locate them more easily. So, we place a number of diffusers that release a high dose of female pheromones in our vineyards. These pheromone traps confuse male moths and prevent them from finding their mates. Since there is no mating, the eggs aren’t fertilized, and don’t hatch. This hormone is absolutely safe. In fact, it’s nothing more than a reconstituted “smell”. These diffusers are placed in the spring before the moth starts flying.
- SOLAR ENERGY: Casa Vinicola Zonin Estates produce up to 40% of their own energy using photovoltaic solar energy panels. In order to reduce their visual impact on the Estates’ landscape, the panels have been hidden from view and placed on the rooftops of barns and cellars. Our Estates using efficient energy saving methods are Tenuta Il Bosco (40%), Castello del Poggio (31 %), Tenuta Ca’ Bolani (19 %), and Feudo Principi di Butera (14%).
- PRECISION FARMING: A farming management concept based on observing and responding to intra-field variations with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources. Castello d’Albola and Tenuta Ca’ Bolani Estates practice precision farming techniques in their vineyards. Maps with infrared technology are used to define plant vigor in the fields, which displays when to water or fertilize the vineyards. Using this technology saves energy and resources.
- GPS SYSTEMS: Furthermore, all of the Estates use a satellite positioning system such as a GPS, which locates the best area to plant in the vineyards through satellite imagery and information technology. Thus, conserving both energy and resources.
At the upcoming Prowein Fair in Duesseldorf, Casa Vinicola Zonin will present its “green” projects and Sommelier Sebastian Wilkens will lead a tasting with our “sustainable” wines at Prowein Forum 7.1, on Sunday, 24th March at 4 p.m.
Furthermore, Casa Vinicola Zonin promotes and actively participates in two of Italy’s national sustainability wine projects: Magis (www.magis.me) and Tergeo (www.tergeo.it). At Vinitaly, in Verona, we will have Magis’s Stand (Pad 7 stand B8)at our disposal on Tuesday, 9th April ,from 4 pm to 6 pm to explain our increasing involvement in sustainable agriculture.
Casa Vinicola Zonin is the largest privately owned wine company in Italy and one of the most popular in Europe, with an uncontested talent in creating “wine culture” outside of Italy. The Company distributes, sells and markets in over 100 countries the wines of its 9 Estates, located in Italy’ finest wine-producing regions. Casa Vinicola Zonin is an increasingly important player on the international stage, a leader in the export of wines from Italy to such countries as the United States, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, the Benelux area, Switzerland and Australia.
For information:
Alessandra Zambonin – Press & Communication Manager – alessandra.zambonin@zonin.it – tel.+39 0444 640 111 / + 39 348 9900019
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