The European project ECOSPHEREWINES (2024-2026) focuses on improving landscapes linked to viticulture, an essential economic and tourist resource in the SUDOE area, especially in inland territories affected by depopulation and aging population. In these territories, the preservation of natural and environmental capital is crucial for rural communities, as it constitutes a source of wealth.
The objective of this project is to improve the ecosystem services provided by wine-growing agricultural landscapes through the implementation of a green infrastructure network in areas of high ecological value. This strategy focuses on conservation and sustainable management, biodiversity enhancement, and increasing resilience to climate change.
To achieve this, the project will:
- Analyze current green infrastructure practices;
- Identify barriers and opportunities;
- Test an adapted methodology in pilot areas in Spain, France, and Portugal.
The results will serve as a guide for future planning and will be extended to the entire Iberian Peninsula and southern France, promoting rural development through improved biodiversity, tourism, and environmental health.
The pilot areas where green infrastructure is being implemented include:
- Spain: Galicia and Castile and León (Biosphere Reserves),
- France: Gaillac Region (Occitania),
- Portugal: Douro Region (Foz Côa, Natura 2000 site).
In Galicia, the experimental field is located in Betanzos, A Coruña, in a vineyard owned by Pagos de Brigante S.L. The Betanzos vineyard reached its peak at the end of the 18th century, with an approximate area of 1,100 hectares. However, it experienced a significant decline in the 19th century due to the appearance of various devastating vine diseases, such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, and phylloxera. By the mid-20th century, the vineyard area had been reduced to only 117 hectares. As a result of this abandonment, much of the land was reforested with eucalyptus for timber production.
Currently, several small wineries, including Pagos de Brigante S.L., are actively working to revitalize traditional viticulture in the region. Within the framework of the ECOSPHEREWINES project, various environmentally sustainable practices are being implemented and tested, including:
- The application of different mulches and covers to study soil quality.
- The establishment of floral strips to improve pollinators.
- The restoration and maintenance of heritage and connectivity elements such as dry stone walls.
- Slope erosion control measures.
- Crop diversification within the vineyard.
- Juana de Vega Foundation (Coordinating Entity)
- Mariñas Coruñesas and Terras do Mandeo Biosphere Reserve
- University of A Coruña
- Pagos de Brigante S.L.
- Agricultural Technology Institute of Castile and León
- Iter Research
- Spanish Wine Technology Platform Association
- University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD)
- Duorum Vinhos S.A.
- European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Duero-Douro
- ADVID - Association for the Development of Douro Viticulture
- Maison des Vins de Gaillac
- French Institute of Vine and Wine, Southwest Division
