The uniqueness of a wine has its roots in the vineyard. We take care of the vine so that the quality of the grapes is exactly as desired.
The global approach adopted by Uva Sapiens focuses on the enhancement of the raw material, thanks to a vineyard management aimed at expressing the qualitative potential of the grapes and the economic and environmental sustainability of the operations.
Pruning and canopy management
From the first cuts to the management of the adult vines, pruning is fundamentally relevant in guaranteeing plant longevity and production quality. Training systems are chosen according to the viticultural and oenological objective, possibly maintaining and enhancing the more traditional ones.
Managing Esca disease
Since 2013, we have been testing different techniques to manage Esca disease. From Fraçois Dal, a technician working for Sicavac in Sancerre, in the Loire Valley, we learnt the technique he calls curetage, which involves cleaning the wood with a small chainsaw, paying particular attention to the complete removal of the white rot that has formed inside the trunk. If the vine affected by Esca disease cannot be recovered by curetage, we move on to the technique of grafting on wild rootstock, safeguarding the vine root system, which saves time in resuming production.
Sustainable pest and disease control
Disease and pest pressure in the vineyard is monitored and targeted protection strategies are defined. Intervention thresholds are established on the basis of careful observation of the evolution of stresses and phenological phases. Priority is given to organic or integrated management that respects the environment and the healthiness of the product.
Soil management
Protecting and increasing the chemical, physical and biological fertility of the soil through rational technical choices means enhancing the vegetative-productive balance of the vines. In each vineyard we establish the best way to manage the soil in the sub-row and inter-row to favour the best phytosanitary and nutritional condition of the vine, as well as great grapes in terms of yield and quality.
Grape ripeness assessment
The correct assessment of the grape ripeness is a critical and important step. We support our customers from the pre-harvest sampling to grape tasting. The data resulting, together with those from chemical analyses, are interpreted in order to elaborate the best harvesting schedule.
Vineyard parcelling
Within each vineyard there is always variability, more or less recognized and highlighted, determined by the interaction between the vine and soil-climate environment. This variability can result in site-specific management of plots and the choice of the best destination for each batch of grapes.