07 - Sustainable wine

Programme manager

Programme director

Objective

To mitigate the environmental impacts of Swiss winegrowing, the sector needs to be structured in a far more sustainable way and adapted to climate change, while at least retaining its market share. At the same time, the quality and typicity of Swiss wines should be able to compete with the highest international standards. The unique characteristics of special vineyard landscapes (UNESCO World Heritage) should be preserved.

• Specific objectives

  • Develop cultivation methods which contribute to reducing labour costs.
  • Develop climate-smart cultivation techniques to increase water-use efficiency and soil quality and reduce herbicide use (in grapevine nurseries as well as new and established vineyards).
  • Develop phytosanitary strategies to protect crops and reduce risks from plant protection products (PPPs).
  • Provide modern grapevine varieties which significantly reduce the need for PPPs (fungal-resistant varieties). Evaluate their suitability for cultivation under the varying conditions in Swiss viticulture and develop oenological processes that are suitable for their characteristics.
  • Evaluate and recommend rootstocks which are more resilient to abiotic stress factors (heat, drought) and clones of traditional grapevine varieties which are resilient and adapted to local conditions.
  • Increase biodiversity in vineyards – especially plant diversity, beneficial insects, pollinators and soil microbial diversity – through more targeted spatial distribution and adapted management practices.
  • Improve understanding of the biotransformation of grape must (yeasts, acidogenesis) and develop vinification strategies with fewer additives and/or less alcohol using sustainable, innovative approaches. Develop decision-making tools based on these observations.
  • Develop innovative analytical methods for monitoring physical, chemical and biological parameters from grape ripening to the finished wine.
  • Develop recommendations for producing wine from new, robust grape varieties to promote their acceptance.
  • Perform integrated agronomic, economic and environmental impact assessments of production and cultivation systems (including winemaking). Examples: crop protection, profitability analyses, carbon footprint, life cycle assessments, etc.
  • Nuclear stock: prepare virus-free material for vegetative propagation in accordance with the legal mandate.
  • Test the authenticity of wines to prevent fraud; optionally validate/check (third-party) new methods

Expected outcomes

Swiss viticulture achieves reduction pathway and climate strategy targets.

Swiss wines at least retain their market share while maintaining profitability.

The traditional landscape in iconic wine-growing regions is preserved.

Projects

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