Heroic viticulture, center of a conference in the Canary Islands

The Conference on Heroic Viticulture and Climate Change concluded this Friday, 17 October, with a technical visit to El Hierro after two days of presentations, held in Tenerife, in which the presence of national specialists from different wine-growing areas of Spain, as well as international, from Italy, Moldova and other European countries, They reaffirmed the Canary Islands as an international platform for the exchange of scientific-technical knowledge in the field of the so-called heroic viticulture, characterized by developing in mountainous environments, steep terrain or small islands.

Over three days, this event organized by the Government of the Canary Islands through the Canary Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA) and the Research Center, Study, Safeguard, Coordination and Valorization of Mountain Viticulture (DEER), in collaboration with the Cabildo of El Hierro and the Regulatory Council of the DOP EL Hierro, It brought together around a hundred in-person participants and dozens of speakers who agreed on the importance of conserving local viticultural biodiversity and promoting varieties best adapted to environmental conditions., in line with the projects developed by both the Canary Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA) such as the ICCA with the objective of protecting the genetic heritage of the Archipelago.

During the closing, the Minister of Agriculture, Cattle raising, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty, Narvay Quintero, accompanied by the president of the Cabildo, Alpidio Armas; the president of CERVIM, Nicola Abbrescia; and the president of the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) of El Hierro Wines, Wolfgang Padron; recalled that “in the last edition of the CERVIM awards for heroic viticulture, The Canary Islands once again stood out as the wine region with the highest number of participating productions, presented with the support of the Government of the Canary Islands, which also obtained a total of 91 awards, which places us in an unbeatable position to lead adaptation strategies to climate change, both from the point of view of scientific-technical knowledge and from the experience that our winegrowers have., viticultoras, “wine makers and wineries”.

They were present at the event, in addition, the senator in the Cortes Generales of Spain for the island of El Hierro, Javier Armas; the director of the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA), Luis Arraez Guadalupe; the vice president of CERVIM, Manuel Capote; the vice president of the Cabildo of El Hierro, Ana González; the insular tourism advisor, Transportation and Communications, Mar Suarez; and the Councilor for Personnel, Citizen Participation, Education and Commerce of the La Frontera City Council, Susana Perez.

During the presentations, the high technological level that currently characterizes the wine sector was highlighted., with special attention to the use of artificial intelligence (IA), digitization and data analysis as tools that allow optimizing processes, improve vineyard management and anticipate risks derived from climate variability.

Besides, in addition to the relevance of technological innovation, The event highlighted the importance of public policies, especially in promoting sustainable agronomic practices, to confront a process that is already affecting viticultural ecosystems, to the availability of water and the agro-climatic conditions of production.

As a closing of this meeting, throughout the technical day on Friday in El Hierro, The participants learned about the characteristics of viticulture on this island with a visit to the El Mirador de Adra winery in which the technician-manager of the El Hierro DOP, Alfredo Hernandez, outlined the technical particularities of heroic Herreña viticulture.

Posteriorly, At the facilities of the DOP Regulatory Council, they attended the presentation by Canarian master viticulturist Rafael Armas on the distinctive vine varieties of El Hierro., and they concluded the day with a wine tasting commented by this expert together with the vice president of the Regulatory Council, Alejandro Padron.