|
|
The Spanish manager and oenologist Fernando Mora MW from Bodegas Frontonio in Aragón founded the association "VVV - Save the old vines" (Vino de Vina Vieja) to protect old vines in the vineyards. The association wants to document all the vines in the country that are older than about 35 years and, in a second step, promote them. Mora wants to develop a nationwide classification system with the association. Currently, the parties involved are discussing after how many years the vines will belong to the category "old vines". "For me personally it is 35 years, but we also need categories for vines that are 50, 60 or 100 years old," he told the magazine "Drinks Business".
However, it is often very difficult to determine the exact planting date, he explained. To verify the information, he combed through the D.O. documents, which should have the planting date on them. In addition, aerial photographs of vineyards taken by the US Air Force in the 1950s would help him.
For the first time, his work will classify the age of the vines standing in Spain, he stressed. "It is very easy to lie, because there is no legal definition of how old an 'old vine' must be, he added. Many of the valuable, sometimes very old stocks would disappear because of the planting rights in the EU. "Those who want to plant new vines will have old areas grubbed up. This means we are losing part of our wine culture," said Fernando Mora.
He said that his project was modelled on organisations in Australia, California, South Africa and Chile, which had been very successful for the local wines.
(uka / Photo: Wikpedia)