The year 2021 started with abundant rainfall; since the campaign began (we consider 1st October as the start, after the harvest), about 200 litres of water have fallen, in the form of both rain and snow, a figure that falls within the normal range.
The winter pruning has now been completed throughout the whole estate, avoiding the weeks in which it was frozen or rained a lot. At Menade we aim for an average yield of about 6,000 Kg/Ha, so normally between 15 and 18 buds are left on each vine in the trellis vineyards. Then, if necessary, the yields are adjusted with green pruning.
Preparing for the 2021 harvest
At the moment the field team are preparing for the 2021 harvest: checking that the pruning cuts have healed correctly; that the vegetation cover is growing properly; that the flow direction of the sap is right… In short, that the growth of the plant is in line with the time of year.
The soil analysis carried out by Marco indicates that, as a result of ecological work, the soil has been gaining in population, not only in quantity but also in variety; that is, there are a lot more microbial flora and fauna, bacteria, yeasts, insects, etc. All of this indicates that the soil of the Menade estate is well balanced. We have also seen that ozone contact treatments are working, as they remove unwanted fungal strains.
Menade last year joined the small group of wineries that are assessing and quantifying their carbon footprint, and achieved a place on the register of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge. To continue in this direction, we are working less and less on the soil, to avoid stepping on it and causing it to clump, which is why we also began to carry out treatments with a fumigator drone last year.
Reducing our nitrogen footprint
The challenge for 2021 is to reduce our nitrogen footprint. For years Marco has not used nitrogen fertilisers, and has opted instead for planting vegetation cover to get a natural contribution of this compound. However, we will continue to work to further reduce nitrogen emissions into the atmosphere.
