New strategies in the wine industry to increase environmental sustainability and consumer health

The sustainable wine supply chain is based on a rational management of the vineyard (pesticide defense, canopy management and nutrition), containment of production costs and enhancement of wines. In organic farming, sulfur and copper are among the few active ingredients allowed. Copper (heavy metal) accumulates in soils, has toxic effects due to microbial flora and culture. The Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM), Moncaro, ASSAM, have already initiated strategies of defense against downy mildew, with alternative products to copper: chitosan is able to effectively contain peronosporic infections. The climatic change also taking place in the Marche region requires innovating vineyard management techniques by introducing new ones such as the use of natural antiperspirants and late apical defoliation. Applying these techniques, evaluated by three Italian Universities (UNIVPM, Perugia and Piacenza), gave positive results: knowledge of the degree of vigor of the vineyard and the maturation of the grapes starting from veraison. The precision viticulture techniques available can support the management strategies, the use of mechanical harvesting allows the timely collection of healthy and mature grapes while containing production costs.
During the fermentation process two starters belonging to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae species selected by UNIVPM were evaluated and tested starting from native starters isolated from the Verdicchio wine production area through selective crossbreeding with two improved autochthonous strains, in order to limit hydrogen production sulphide and sulfur dioxide. They are already tested with tests carried out with the Moncaro winery in the 2015-17 harvests.