Being a winegrower also means understanding the soil and the climate, in order to adapt viticultural practice to variable weather conditions and the cycles of nature.
Observation and the knowledge gained through experience are the compass that guides and accompanies the evolution of the vine which is expressed in the grapes and ultimately in the glass.
From season to season, from vintage to vintage, the changing climate brings often extreme situations, from drought and a lack of rainfall to prolonged low temperatures, even at times of year that are usually mild.
When it’s cold, it isn’t unusual to witness the phenomenon of thermal inversion.
As the sun sets, the air in contact with the ground heats up very quickly due to the heat retained during the day. The warm air then rises rapidly towards the upper layers of the atmosphere. This results in the formation of a layer of cold air close to the ground, which can fall to significantly lower temperatures than the layers above, even below freezing.
This process often generates a cushion of icy cold air at low altitudes, which can jeopardise the normal vegetative development of the vines.
To prevent frost in our vineyards, we are using a new infrared wire technology which exploits the principle of solar radiation. Energy transmitted at the speed of light by infrared rays is transformed into heat when it comes into contact with an object (in this case the vines), minimising the loss of heat.
In the Barbaresco Pajé and Barolo Pira vineyards we use wind machines that play a key role in protecting the vines from frost damage.
By circulating warmer air from higher altitudes down to ground level, they create a protective barrier over the soil.
This helps mitigate the risk of frost damage, safeguarding the normal development of the plant’s vegetative cycle.
