Bodegas Manuel Aragón headquarters of wine innovation
Bodegas Manuel Aragón headquarters of wine innovation
The Manuel Aragón Winery in Chiclana today hosted the presentation of the applied innovation center Vitilab, financed by the Provincial Council of Cádiz and which will be managed by the UCA in coordination with the Jerez Regulatory Council.
The financial support of the 'DipuActiva' program, promoted and financed by the Provincial Council of Cádiz, and the alliance established between the provincial institution itself, the University of Cádiz (UCA), the Regulatory Council of the Denomination of Origin Jerez-Sherry and the Manuel Aragón Winery in Chiclana have led to the birth of a new resource for the wine sector: the Vitilab laboratory.
Established in the Campano estate - in Chiclana de la Frontera - it is designed to undertake experiments in the vineyard, from the basis of innovation, that can be extrapolated to other breeding areas, with sustainable criteria. and capable of carrying out effective responses in adverse circumstances such as climate change. It is therefore an applied research laboratory, but also a vine dissemination center, designed to “prestige the field” and achieve generational change in this industry.
The first vice president of the Provincial Council and mayor of Chiclana, José María Román, has inaugurated Vitilab; together with the vice-rector for Scientific Policy and Research of the University of Cádiz (UCA), María Jesús Mosquera; the president of the Jerez Regulatory Council, César Saldaña; Sebastián Aragón, representing the Manuel Aragón Winery; the oenologist, researcher and professor at the UCA, Ana Jiménez Cantizano; and the Development delegate of the Chiclana City Council, Pepa Vela.
Diputación, through DipuActiva, has already allocated 43,000 euros to this initiative and another 45,000 euros have been allocated in the current budget. With the investments already applied, Campano's payment has been conditioned so that up to seven native varieties can take root: Vijiriega, King grape, Pedro Ximénez, Chiclana muscatel, Palomino Fino, Perruno and Beba, distributed in four blocks of four vines each. /p>
The rootstocks against phylloxera have already been planted, in addition to rooting aromatic plants and rose bushes – as biological indicators – as well as refuges for insects. Next to the vineyard, a geodesic dome has also been located, which is a kind of tent equipped with instruments, tools and equipment to continue scientific work if the weather circumstances are adverse. A weather station and sensors have also been installed on the land to accurately monitor agro-climatic conditions.
