Start of the project

Working in Friuli Venezia Giulia’s vineyards, I realized that with small practical innovation I was sure to prevent pruning related disease: our grandfathers used to disinfect scissors during pruning works directly on the field. Nowadays scientific reports had discovered that they were right.

This is why I founded the FINEST GRAPE TECH project. I studied a simple method to disinfect pruning tools directly on the field, preventing diffusion of scissor-related fungal and

Esca disease complex

The fungi that are now considered the main agents of the Esca complex, are Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and Phaeoacremonium aleophilum, but it is suspected that there are three others which contribute to the manifestation of symptoms on the vine plant. This complex is caused by the infection of the fungi which are transmitted with mechanical processing in the vineyard (pruning in the first line); these pathogens spread inside the xylem and floematic vessels of the plant, entering mainly from pruning wounds. Furthermore, the infection is transmitted from a plant affected by Esca disease to a healthy one, through pruning shears. Infections have different stages, with different symptoms and can lead to dead wood and finally to the death of the plant. Thus we understand the importance of preventing infections by disinfecting the scissors with which we prune our vineyards, and disinfecting the wounds created.

A historic vineyard

When we talk about territoriality in viticulture, we are talking about a microclimate, a unique genetic heritage, a historical culture; all these elements make a particular vineyard produce a unique quality grape that can express its peculiarities only within that particle. From a historic vineyard with very long-lived plants, unique wines are created in the world. For this reason it is essential to preserve the original plants, preventing their eradication after they have been affected by Esca disease; just so a vineyard planted sixty years ago will give the same extraordinary wine. To do this we have only one weapon. It’s called prevention.