Mo.del supplies both a manual and an automatic system for rolling out the covers - crédit photo : Alexandre Abellan

Viti-Tunnels, which are rolled out above vines to protect them from frost, hail, scorching and mildew, should soon make their way into appellation-classified vineyards in France. Barely one month after releasing its product range, Mo.del has announced that it has received permission by the national origin and quality institute (INAO) to join France’s Innovation Assessment Scheme. Appellation producers’ organisations are now entitled to survey the effects of installing the covers in vineyards over a ten-year period. The provision can be introduced into production specifications provided the covers do not exceed 5% of a farm’s total acreage and 10% of the blend of an AOC-labelled wine.

To convince the authorities that terroir would not be jeopardised by the covers, Viti-Tunnel creator Patrick Delmarre reviewed the rate at which the covers were opened and closed. He cites vine sheeting for 7 to 11 days during the 160 to 180 days of the growing season, equating to 4 to 7% of the season. Ongoing trials at Bordeaux chateaux show no clear differences between grapes and wines from the sheltered rows and those from control vines.

Producers’ organisations interested in the experimentation are required to choose a technical referral organisation to validate the protocol, supervise the collection and processing of data and produce the assessment report. Producers that want to take part are required to sign an agreement with the producers’ organisation and INAO, which sets the timeframe for the trial, at the end of which Viti-Tunnel’s fate will be sealed.

Source:Vitisphere