Quality, sustainability, longevity of wine. Lanati believes the answer is ungrafted vines

During the conference, “The origins of the vine”, held at the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, Donato Lanati, oenologist and researcher, relaunched an important topic that is often in the background, that is, returning to ungrafted vines as a pragmatic solution towards sustainable viticulture. Lanati said, “we often talk about environmental sustainability, climate and drought. Now, however, it takes 600 liters of water to produce a liter of wine, while instead, ungrafted vines would need half that amount. Research must go in this direction, in other words, finding solutions that combat those diseases that have required the use of American rootstocks for over a century. The solutions are surely not easy to find, but not impossible, either. They must be sought out through knowledge, study, research, experimentation and continuous renewal, looking beyond the usual horizons. Then, of course, you need passion, curiosity, intuition and a pinch of genius”.

The solution requires studies, experiments and research, such as those carried out by the team of biological scientists, chemists and oenologists at the Enosis Meraviglia Applied Oenology Research Center in Fubine. “Going back to producing wine using ungrafted vines”, Lanati added, “ means bringing an enormous added value to our winemaking, in terms of sustainability, as well as the quality and longevity of the wine, and protecting the plant from diseases and climate changes. Just look at the Georgian experience, where it all began”.

From the roots of viticulture to when it came to the Italian peninsula, “wine is an evergreen that is at least 8.500 years old, whose history has been marked not only by natural events, but also by terroir, in the French meaning, which incorporates soil, climate, lives, and above all, the work of man”, Donato Lanati continued. “Bottles do not grow on the vine and the variety, alone, does not determine the quality. Over the last two thousand years, in Italy, the merit goes to the people dedicated to viticulture who have identified the best areas and exposures, and have brought out excellence from the different vines. And, it is also thanks to them that unlike our neighbors, the French, we can count on an unparalleled varietal heritage, developed throughout the entire country. Of course, the French were the first to produce high scientific literature and legislation on the subject. Furthermore, they were better at communicating, but Italy has much more substance to do even better, if it wants to”, the founder of the Enosis Meraviglia Research Centre, concluded