The European project ECOSPHEREWINES, funded by the Interreg Sudoe programme, will hold its final conference on 17 November at the MOA Institute (Madrid). Under the title “From research to market: biodiversity, sustainability and value creation in the wine sector”, the event will bring together researchers, winery technicians, institutional representatives and international experts to share the project’s main results and outline a roadmap towards more sustainable viticulture.
ECOSPHEREWINES has worked for four years on integrating green infrastructure into wine-growing landscapes in south-western Europe, promoting nature-based solutions that reconcile quality wine production with biodiversity conservation and resilience to climate change.
A programme connecting science, territory and market
The conference will begin at 15:00 with a session dedicated to knowledge transfer in Portugal and France, two of the project’s partner territories. The session will be structured around two complementary experiences:
- From research to the winery: sustainability and value creation in wine, with contributions from Fátima Gonçalves, assistant professor at the Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), and João Perry, managing director of Duorum Vinhos.
- From biodiversity to territorial recognition: research and valorisation of Gaillac wines, led by Enzo Dulieu from the Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin (IFV), and Caroline Granados, director of Maison des Vins de Gaillac.
Subsequently, Anabel Alba-González, project officer at the Fundación Juana de Vega, will present the ECOSPHEREWINES Green Infrastructure Strategy, a roadmap aimed at making viticulture more sustainable across the south-western European arc.
The afternoon’s centrepiece will be the round table entitled “From knowledge to action: challenges and opportunities for integrating green infrastructure into the wine sector”, moderated by Alfonso Ribas, Director of Research and Innovation at the Fundación Juana de Vega, with the participation of:
- Mario de la Fuente, President of the Viticulture Commission of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV)
- Elena Vicente, Head of Section at the General Subdirectorate for Fruit, Vegetables and Viticulture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA)
- Mireia Torres, founding partner of the Asociación de Viticultura Regenerativa and coordinator of the Sustainability area at the Plataforma Tecnológica del Vino (PTV).
Following the conclusions and closing ceremony, the event will end with a wine tasting and a final networking session to share experiences and forge new connections.