General information on “smart viticulture”
“Smart agriculture” or “Intelligent Agriculture” yields a 25% reduction in production costs, while the effects on the environment are beneficial by reducing energy consumption and protecting soil and water resources. The goal of this agriculture is prevention and timely intervention. The services of “smart agriculture” are related to fertilizers (quantity and type), plant protection (recording of environmental parameters) and irrigation based on the exact needs of the plants. In Greece, “precision viticulture” has been presented where the National Technical University (team of Konstantinos Karanzalos) manages to monitor its crops and predict the needs of each vineyard. In “precision viticulture” winemakers, with the help of drones (remote-controlled helicopters), equipped with precision sensors, monitor plants and grapes for signs of ripening and for sugar and acid levels to determine exactly when they will be harvested. In the case of traditional agriculture, the grower will have to give a sample of the leaves to the laboratory and wait for the results, which is time consuming. The drones can also scan a large area and detect disease as early as possible and stop it from spreading. In the laboratory of the International University of Greece, in the Kavala branch, the Autonomous Vintage Robot was developed, which will surely help in the long run in the grape harvest. The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union extends to 2030 on the basis of two strategies, that of “Biodiversity” and that of “From Farm to Dish” (F2F) “. Both strategies are based on digitized information and the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to measure the achievement of goals through performance indicators. ICT is precision equipment, sensors and actuators, the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, geo-location systems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) , robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc.
Table: Ripe grapes by variety
Source: Martha St. Kaplanoglou
Watering
July, August and September are the important months for grape ripening. Water quantities must be controlled. Xinomavro has excellent drainage, large root system (40 meters deep! | Source Alpha estate)
Terror
The second component that affects viticulture is the terroir. Terroir is very important in the vineyard. The vine has been cultivated in various conditions and is willing to be cultivated in difficult soils with climatic conditions which are constantly changing. Climate, soil, topography, variety of the vine gives us the terroir.
Vine care
The viruses of the vine are over 70. It is the first plant in viruses. So the important thing is how we produce the variety, what is the right material. It is a big problem in quality viticulture.
Pruning
- Winter or dry:During the winter rest of the stems (February – March), removal of vines or their parts and branches
- Configuration pruning: Concerns the growth and support of the plant skeleton and is applied for 3-4 years from installation
- Fruit pruning: It concerns the regulation of production and the shape of the stem
- Summer or green: During the germination period, removal of green stems
- Inflorescence thinning: Before or after flowering
- Thinning of Rails: After tying the inflorescences
- Sprouting: During the formation of young plants
- Peak: Shortly before, during or shortly after flowering
- Engraving:
- Before and after flowering: Reduce anthurium or prevent rail fall
- After flowering (unripe varieties): Reduction of anthurium and increase of rail size
- After pruning (early varieties): Improving rail color and promoting maturation
- Browsing: At the beginning of maturation
Table: Stem stems of the Vineyard
Source: www.agro24.gr
Basic pruning principles
- The vine bears fruit on vines found in biennial wood. We already know from the physiology of the plant that a bunch is formed after two growing seasons.
- Pruning usually depletes the stem and does not renew it. It is therefore a misconception about pruning that enlivens the vineyard.
- We should not leave many and thin vines because they run out of vines.
- The large and large pruning cuts negatively affect the vitality of the vegetation and increase the chances of being infected by fungi, under certain conditions.
Fruit pruning is divided into 3 main categories, depending on the length of the vines that we will leave (and therefore the number of buds):
Short pruning: it is also known as a head because in each arm I leave a short vine that has 2-3 eyes.
Long pruning: it is also known as immaculate because in each arm I leave a long vine that has 5-8 eyes.
Mixed pruning: in this case each arm has a short head and an immaculate.
Sketch: Pruning simulation of smart viticulture
Source: Nikolaou NA, 2011. Viticulture. Modern Education Publications. Thessaloniki
The stages of good practices of smart wine production
Grapes are the only fruits that contain the necessary acids, esters and tannins to naturally produce a beverage called wine. Tannins are what give dryness and astringency to wine. The acidity and sugars will balance the wine in taste.
Flow chart: Red vinification process
Source: www.infowine.gr
Six basic stages of the wine production process:
1. Harvest (harvest)
- Manual harvesting
- Mechanical harvest
- Transport
- Delivery of raw material
2. Crushing and pressure
3. Fermentation
4. Clarification
5. Maturation
6. Bottling
1st stage: Harvest
Vintage is the first step in producing wine. The harvest depends on the weather, the ripeness of the fruit, the sugars of the grapes. Harvesting is done mechanically or manually. The harvest must be done in such a way that it is not strained and the grapes are transported directly to the winery to ensure maximum quality.
Manual harvesting
Manual harvesting by many may be more expensive than mechanical but is considered to be the proposed method for producing high quality wine. Mature bunches can be located and discarded those that are degraded or show signs of rot or other damage. Manual harvesting is also required on steep slopes where mechanical harvesting could not be applied.
Mechanical harvest
Mechanical harvesting is faster, but it hurts the grapes which is a disadvantage for good wine. The harvest is done by a special tractor which is quite tall and passes between the rows and has a collector in the back. ICT tips: Robot harvesting will soon be an innovation that combines engineering and will have the effect of manual harvesting.
Most mass-produced wines are now harvested mechanically, which is less expensive and speeds up the process, but also increases the need to sort grapes.
Mechanical grape pickers have been used since the 1960s and their efficiency has improved significantly over the decades. However, they still can not distinguish between ripe, poor or even rotten grapes, not to mention the leaves, dirt, etc. Also, due to the way they are collected, there is a risk of bruising or tearing.
In the event that the skin is torn, fermentation may be premature on the way to the winery, so many wineries choose to harvest at night or at dawn, when it is cooler.
Transport
Two modes are used for transport. The first is the grapes all together in the body where nylon plastic is placed so that the juices do not leave. This method is not suitable for the production of quality wine and does not exist in Greece and other countries that produce quality wine. The second way, which is the most tried, is to collect the grapes in crates or baskets or baskets and transport them by platform to the winery. Each crate can hold 25-30 kg. Each basket holds 45-50 kg of grapes.
Photo: Vehicle with platform
Source: George Palisidis Archive
Delivery of raw material
The raw material delivery area must always be clean and tidy so that there is direct access to the vehicle. Upon delivery, the cargo is weighed on a plate and then placed in a cold room for 12 hours to reduce their temperature. Then, after the time of 12 hours has passed, we empty the boxes with the grapes in the grape container (container of the crusher) or we transfer them with the help of a pulley to the crusher so that the cracking process starts.
ICT tips: In the delivery of the grape, when it is in the transfer tape to the crusher, a camera (optical sorter) can be installed that will select a hoe! The winemaker sets the specifications for the roga such as size, color, color depth as he locates small leaves.
Hygienic conditions must be respected and throughout the production process. The crates (crates) must be washed and sterilized before use for the harvest, but also every time they are used because the must absorbs odors and the grapes are hypersensitive to contagious infections.
ICT tips: A metal detector for any natural hazard can be placed on the conveyor belt.
2nd stage: Crushing and pressing of grapes
The grapes must be crushed immediately. It is a bad practice to leave the grapes exposed to ambient temperature in the baskets or in the body for a long time, because that is how they are crushed and the raw material begins to degrade. However, it is advisable to leave them in a cold room before they explode. For this reason, the vines located near the estate with the winery have a better yield in wine, because they do not suffer and the bottles produced have the right to be called “Estate”. Giants (grape seeds) are interested in red vinification, so there is an extraction with their tannins. The giants are involved in the overall organoleptic characteristics of the wine.
The grapes are divided and sorted according to their variety. The crushing or barking is done per variety and after they are fermented and the wine comes out, then the compounds of the varieties are made. In small crops the vinification is done with the varieties being crushed all together, which is not good for the commerciality of the branding of the final product. The grapes before entering the press where the juice will be separated, the stalk is removed (which is also called the stalk) and the reason is that in the stalk there are negative substances harmful to humans and the taste of the wine. This is the case with the crusher, which removes the stalks from the grape stalk. During the eruption it is good practice to periodically throw dry ice (-80 degrees Celsius, it is air) in the grape mass that has the ability to displace oxygen. It is a good practice to compost the hair follicles and throw them in the vineyard as fertilizer.
Then the press is taken over, which is a balloon and presses the rods to crush them and separate their juice. This way no juices come out of the seeds and the product is of very good quality. The grape mass is piped to the press. The press has a membrane, which swells and exerts gentle pressure on the grape mass and we have an outflow of juice.
By the process of centrifugation or with the help of chemicals, particles that settled on the bottom of the must container are removed.
3rd stage: Fermentation
Then with a pump the juice is led to the tanks for “static extraction”, where the juice remains still for 24 hours, so that the solids remain at the bottom and we get a clear product. Fermentation begins as soon as we break the roe. At this stage this content is called must. The must with the help of wild yeasts (“frost” on the roga), temperature (20-25 degrees) and air begins to ferment within 6-12 hours. At this stage we see bubbles on the surface of the must which means that the fermentation has started. To be sure of the fermentation process (alcoholic fermentation) we add a quantity of yeast (commercial cultivated yeast) always according to the instructions of the oenologist, in order to ensure the final result. Fermentation is continued until all sugars are converted to alcohol. The duration of fermentation is a few days to about a month (15 to 25 days). The process is monitored and controlled by an electronic central system, which helps us maintain and control the temperature of the tanks and therefore the leaching. The system is connected to a central coolant branching system to stop fermentation when needed. After the alcohol is created, we filter and take a juice with alcohol (and maybe with sugars that we left in our knowledge) which we call “glaucous”.
In case we have wine which is intended for aging, then the fermentation takes place in barrels, because malic milk fermentation is required. Some wines are fermented directly in barrels. It is a method chosen by the winemaker. For example the wine of the Chardonnay variety is good to be fermented in oak barrels. The fermentation process takes about 10 days and then the wine is inactivated at the appropriate temperature and remains in the same barrel for aging for another 6 months. Then the barrels will be emptied, the wine will stabilize and we will follow the bottling process. Aging barrels are used for about two years.
4th stage: Clarification
Once the fermentation is complete, the clarification begins. In this process, solids such as dead yeast cells, proteins and tannins are removed. The filtered wine is transported to a different storage area such as a stainless steel tank or in oak barrels.
Case of clarification with a small amount of liquids: This procedure involves rotating at high speed to separate the must from the marcs and is applied to wines that are difficult to separate by other means. This method requires careful control because it can cause unjustified oxidation and loss of alcohol.
Processing of white grapes
To create white wine requires a process in the must (must)
Processing of red grapes
Creating red wine requires a natural pigment found in the skin of the grapes. The pigments during the fermentation process under appropriate processes pass into the must and give red color to the wine.
5th stage: Maturation
The winemaker in collaboration with the oenologist co-decides what policy they will follow for each label. This defines any mixtures that will occur as well as which wines will mature and how much. Therefore the choice is: bottling or aging.
Storing wine in a tank
We keep fresh wines in tanks where we remove the air so that the wine does not oxidize. Every time we empty wine, we also remove air.
Aging
The oxygen of the cellar atmosphere through the pores of the barrel goes inside the wine, in the volume of the wine, where physicochemical processes take place, which aim to maintain and develop the organoleptic, taste and aromatic characteristics of the wine in depth. time (about 1-3 years)
Wine tasting. Organoleptic checks
Source: George Palisidis Archive
The organoleptic characteristics of the wine depend on the variety, the physiognomy of the wine that the winemaker wants to give and on the harvest.
There are wines that are over 4 years old, which are usually a fine grape selection. There is also double aging which means that the wine ages 18 months in barrel and 18 months in bottle.
Aging is an important process for wine. It takes monitoring and patience. The aging conditions are as follows:
- Storage in wooden barrels. There is a tendency to age the wine in clay jars or concrete / clay jars. The area of Gorizia in northern Italy, where white wine is produced, is aged for about 7 years before bottling. The variety they produce is mainly Malvasia (see Winerry Paraschos)
- Constant temperature in the room is 18-25οC. For this reason we prefer to be an underground space that has a constant and low temperature without strong fluctuations.
- The space is adequately and continuously ventilated. It should not smell of mold and moisture. There should be no dust.
- 85% relative humidity in the area where the barrels are stored. This is the ideal temperature to reduce the loss of wine from the barrels. Do not forget that wine is a living organism and is constantly evolving.
Example for aging red wine: it acquires a rich color (from anthocyanins), structure and body in its texture (from tannins), concentration (from the size of a rail) and aroma like red fruits (terpenes).
Example for white aromatic wine: acquires acidity (from malic acid), aroma such as unripe fruit, aroma and vegetation (from thiols).
Stage 6: Bottling
The bottling area is important and must follow strict hygiene rules. Therefore, in the bottling area, the bottles are washed and filled, capped and placed on wooden pallets or wooden boxes. The equipment located in this area is:
- bottle washer
- filler
- cap
- palletizing machine
Stage 7: Conservation
Preservation of wine in a bottle
We always choose a cool place without humidity. Provided there is no mold, the space is ventilated and clean. The best case scenario is to have conservators.
Photo: Restaurant wine cellar in Amynteo
Source: George Palisidis Archive
Storage of wines in a tank
To stabilize the wine (wine) must be cooled to very low temperatures. For this reason, stainless steel wine stabilization tanks have high efficiency cooling coils and mineral wool insulation on the outside so that the low temperature can be maintained without losses. They have a conical roof and bottom and are mounted on stainless steel legs. For uniform temperature distribution inside the tank there is the possibility of placing lateral agitation with an automated control panel. They are manufactured in various capacities and their dimensions are selected according to the needs of the space for which they are intended. Tanks of 5, 10, 30 tons are the most common in demand.
Wine storage tanks
Source: euroinox.gr
Preservation in an amphora
The use of amphorae for the fermentation or aging of wine is a method that has revived nowadays and is constantly gaining producers and consumers. As is the case with barrels where size, wood and burning play a key role in the style of wine that will be produced, so it is with amphorae that have, as it turns out, their own different styles in terms of their production. The size of the amphora, the firing temperature of the clay, its composition and finally the type of beeswax that will be used to smear its interior, are factors that decisively influence the final result. The main reason that makes the producers prefer their use is the microoxygenation that the clay allows in the wine. The permeability of an amphora to oxygen can be almost non-existent, as is the case with a closed tank or larger than any oak barrel. The lack of aromatic compounds such as those of wood protects the fruity character of the wine while many argue that the use of the amphora enhances its minerality and earthly elements.
Preservation of wine in an amphora
Source: Athens
Preservation of wine in concrete tanks
This technique has been known since the 1940s. The use of concrete tanks has begun and is becoming increasingly popular. Comparing the concrete with the stainless steel tank we will find that it has several disadvantages but shows different wines.
- Cement is quite a porous material so it allows the microoxygenation of the wine while the stainless steel tank does not. This is very important as it helps in the aromas, the color and the structure of the wine but also in the avoidance of the reduction phenomenon. The barrel also allows micro-oxygenation, but almost always affects the wine, giving it its characteristic aromas, while the concrete tank is almost a neutral medium and maintains the purity of the fruit.
- Cement has the amazing property of staying cool and maintaining a constant temperature. And this is also important for the fruity character of the wine.
- Due to the fact that the concrete tank helps to express fruit and wine without affecting it, some winemakers claim that the wines from concrete tanks better express the place where they were born or the terroir.
A major disadvantage of concrete is its weight, which makes it difficult to transport. Heavy chemicals and hard brushes are also not allowed.
Tank at the Amyntas Winery in Amynteo
Source: George Palisidis Archive
New type Concrete Tanks
Source: Botillia (https://blog.botilia.gr/el/tsimentenies-deksamenes)