Hi everyone,

this week the winery our sommeliers have decided to highlight is “La Viarte”, a winery from Friuli that practices integrated pest control with low environmental impact. I take the opportunity to leap further into the subject…

What is it?

There is an EC directive of October 21st 2009, if you are interested you can go and read it (it is the number 128), which says that the integrated defense or fight is a strategy that allows to limit the damages deriving from parasites of plants, using all the methods and techniques available in respect of the environment and human health. The integrated defense or fight involves a drastic reduction in the use of pesticides that are harmful both to humans and the environment.

How does it work?

The directive lists the measures to be implemented in order to reduce the use of photovoltaic products; below I indicate some of the most important and  some of the most curious ones

• Fight against harmful insects through the use of pheromone diffusers that confuse them sexually. (seems strange but it works!)
• Fight harmful insects by inserting other insects (not harmful for cultivation) that are their natural predators
• Choice of pesticides that can be denatured by the biochemical action of the soil and air
• Use of selected plant protection products that eliminate harmful insects
• Use of pesticides that are little or not at all toxic for humans and for the useful insects

So, while the chemical defense aims to permanently eliminate the insects that are harmful for the cultivation by using chemical agents that are harmful to humans and the environment,  the integrated control is more laborious but it is able to achieve a balance in the environmental from which we can all take advantage.

Of course, the integrated defense or fight is more expensive because there is a need for qualified people who constantly monitors the cultivation environment;  but this extra work shows and the can be perceived also in the glass.

I recommend  to taste the wines from the  “La Viarte” winery…  let me know what you think. I also leave you the link to the other wines that come from wineries that practice the integrated pest management.

Se you soon

Ciao

Ilde