The SW Summary: On the rise of AI, labyrinth vineyards, Tesco’s new hybrid wine, and more

Intelligent viticulture: AI advancements in the vineyard

In Wine Industry Advisor Teri van Aalst discusses how AI is changing the future of viticulture. Precision agriculture using AI has huge potential in vineyard management. Its predictive capabilities can improve and refine farming practices, thereby boosting efficiency and sustainability. The wine industry has seen a rapid advancement of AI innovations and applications in vineyards. 

One of the leading players in the space is Deep Planet, an agritech startup that “aims to aid agriculture in adapting to climate change using advanced machine learning.” The company’s technology supports growers to optimise vineyard management, disease control and overall efficiency and sustainability. For example, their product VineSignal, helps growers monitor soil and vine health. It tracks soil and plant nutrients, soil organic carbon, and water management, as well as risks to vine health such as diseases and pests.

David Carter, CEO and co-founder of Deep Planet, believes the rapid development of AI technologies will usher in a new era of viticulture. “As data accumulates, AI algorithms are becoming more accurate and reliable. The evolution of AI in viticulture is both swift and ongoing,” he says.

Over in Coonawarra, South Australia, Koonara Winery owner Dru Reschke has seen remarkable results from adopting AI in the vineyard. Reschke uses AI to monitor 15 key data points including nutrition and water stress, and to forecast future water needs. By using AI to analyse soil and leaf samples, Reschke can swiftly identify and replenish missing minerals. He envisions a future where AI would analyse minerals and automatically integrate the data into watering systems. 

When asked about the challenges, cost isn’t raised as a major issue, as “comprehensive data [is] available for just USD $2 to $25 per hectare per year.” However, resistance to change among farmers has been a significant obstacle. Reschke urges farmers to collaborate and build an evidence base to accelerate the adoption of AI across vineyards. Read the article here.

How much control do growers have over their microclimate?

According to a recent review of studies published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, up to 70% of wine-producing regions globally will be unsuitable for wine production if temperatures increase by more than two degrees Celsius. Growers are already experiencing the effects of climate change, with many recording earlier harvests and unbalanced grapes. Vintners can’t control global warming, but can they control their microclimate? In SevenFifty Daily Kathleen Willcox explores how and to what extent.

First, she looks at vineyard design. Vines are often planted in a grid format for ease of farming, but two vineyards are experimenting with alternative designs. Over in Chile Viña Don Melchor is testing a ‘sundial’ vineyard, a 0.4-acres area planted with 60 15-metre long rows of grapes in a radial orientation. CEO and technical director Enrique Tirado explains how they’re “exploring how row orientation and planting density affect the microclimatic conditions at the cluster level, and how that impacts the quality of the final wine.” So far Tirado and the team have “seen differences of one to two degrees Celsius in the grapes from row to row on average throughout the season.”

Over in Oregon winemaker Patrick Reuter of Dominio IV is experimenting with a labyrinth format. What started out as a philosophical experiment has led to unexpected viticultural results. Reuter’s two experimental labyrinth vineyards (one-acre and 0.75-acres in size) have shown that by planting vines in a radial pattern and training in a circle, ripening can be delayed. “We noticed that these vines are now much less susceptible to sunburn, which can happen with VSP [vertical shoot positioning]. This way of training ensures that there is always at least a dappling of shade on the grape,” explains Reuter.

Deviating from the traditional grid format isn’t the only way to protect grapes from hotter temperatures, Willcox notes. Some growers, such as Mark Neal of Neal Family Vineyards in Napa, opt for a double trellis system instead. In Neal’s 18-acres of dual-varietal trellis, red varieties are planted directly on top of whites. The shade provided by the double trellis has almost doubled the output without the need for additional water, whilst reducing carbon emissions. Read more here.

Tesco launches its first hybrid wine in the UK

In Harpers Wine and Spirit James Bayley reports on Tesco’s new hybrid wine launch. Tesco Finest Floreal is a PIWI white wine made from Floreal, a hybrid of Villaris and a descendant of Muscadinia rotundifolia grown in the Languedoc and Loire Valley. It’s a cross between American and Asian wild grapevines and European varieties.

Developed as a response to climate change, it’s highly resistant to oidium (powdery mildew) and mildew, as well as partially resistant to black rot. The grape’s increased resistance to fungal diseases results in an 80-90% reduction in vine treatments, which in turn significantly reduces tractor usage, carbon emissions and soil compacting. 

Tesco Finest Floreal has been blended with the collaboration of French winemakers and is now available in Tesco stores throughout the UK. Read more here.

Environmentally conscious viticulture in Austria

Almost a quarter (24%) of Austria’s area under vine is now certified organic, reports Austrian Wine, the country’s wine marketing board. That’s 10,432 hectares, or, to put it into context, around the size of 15,000 football pitches. This positions Austria as a global leader in organic production, overtaking France (20.7%) and Italy (18.1%).

Beyond organic, 25% of Austria’s area under vine has been certified by Sustainable Austria. The national sustainability certification evaluates 380 operational measures, from vineyard practices to bottle weight. With its cooler temperatures and increased precipitation, Austria’s climate makes it a more challenging wine-growing zone compared to “more southerly wine-producing countries.”

Despite the challenges, environmentally conscious production is a priority for vineyards. CEO of Austrian Wine Chris Yorke explains that this is largely due to the structure of the country’s wine industry: “95% of our wineries are family-run. Their aim is to pass on healthy vineyards from generation to generation. On average, Austrian winegrowers only cultivate four hectares of vineyards, which is not much compared to other countries around the world. This allows them to tend their vines with precision and intuition, depending on the needs of the vines. On top of that, for the last three decades, our winegrowers have been supported in their environmental efforts by the national agri-environmental programme ÖPUL.”

Environmentally conscious production has economic benefits too. Yorke notes how sustainability accreditation has become an increasingly important selling point across markets, especially in Scandinavia, Canada and the USA. Read more here.