Commitment to sustainable viticulture in the Priorat region
Europe is committed to a model of sustainable and high quality wine production in the Region of Priorat, through the LIFE PRIORAT + MONTSANT project, which has a budget of 1.5 million euros, co-financed by the European Union. This initiative is led by a Consortium of five entities, led by VITEC (Wine Technological Center) which, together with the Montsant Denomination of Origin, the Designated Priorat Denomination of Origin, the service company for sustainability Lavola 1981 and the Wine Technology Platform will work for the next four years to develop and demonstrate a model of wine production in this Catalan region, based on the sustainable use of resources and that can be subsequently reproduced in other wine regions, Spanish and European.
Over the last 30 years, the Catalan region of Priorat has become a model of international success in the production of high quality wines thanks to the careful preparation of its wines and the use of its wine, natural and cultural heritage
Today, in a context of increasing international competition and facing an increasingly demanding and environmentally responsible market, the 170 wineries attached to the region’s denominations of origin face new challenges related to the sustainability of vine growing and winemaking, conservation of the natural environment or reduction of the environmental impact of the sector. Within this framework, the LIFE PRIORAT + MONTSANT Project is born and is being developed during the period 2016-2020, with an investment of more than 1.5 million euros.
This European commitment to a model of sustainable wine production, hopes to be able to significantly reduce the use of resources, both in the field and in the cellar, including the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, replacing them with others more respectful of the environment
The project will also contribute to the implementation of strategies to reduce the environmental impact of the life cycle of wine produced in the Priorat region, by implementing the PEF WINE calculation rules (pilot of the initiative “Environmental Product Footprint” EU).
Another of the novelties of the project is to promote ecological wine tourism which involves the development of a model based on the principles of social, economic and environmental sustainability, which will help to promote the positioning of the Priorat Region as a sustainable wine destination
Ultimately, as stated by Sergi de Lamo, institutional manager and project coordinator, LIFE PRIORAT + MONTSANT “is an innovative model for a sustainable and high quality wine production that will also provide the most appropriate bases and tools for Of a sustainable wine tourism”.
Source: LIFE PRIORAT + MONTSANT
