An Italian winery installed solar panels on its vineyards and discovered something unexpected: they improve the quality of the wine

Agrivoltaics was already gaining ground as the great promise of the countryside and renewable energy. What we didn’t know was that it could also improve wine.

In short. La Svolta, a winery in the Italian region of Puglia, has discovered that integrating agrivoltaic systems in vineyards can mitigate some of the effects of climate change, delay grape ripening and improve the quality of wine.

It has also allowed them to grow grape varieties that are not typical of the region, not to mention the economic and environmental benefits of saving water and producing solar energy on the same land where the vines are grown.

A huge agrivoltaic installation. The project is called Vigna Agrivoltaica di Comunità and features 7,770 double-junction thin-film solar panels. Together they have a combined output power of 970 kW.

The solar panels face south at an angle of 28 degrees. They rest on a concrete structure inspired by the typical pergola found in Italian vineyards. The vines grow underneath, protected from wind and heat waves.

The secret is in the shadow. The shadow cast by the solar panels has delayed the harvest at La Svolta by three to four weeks compared to the surrounding vineyards, for both white and red grapes.

This year, Vigna Agrivoltaica di Comunità has carried out the harvest at the end of August, when in other areas it took place weeks ago.

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How it affects the quality of wine. Less exposure to sunlight slows down the accumulation of sugars in the grapes, which improves the balance between alcohol content and acidity during fermentation. According to La Svolta, this allows for the production of high-quality wines without the need for corrective interventions.

The agrivoltaic system improved the water stress of the plants, protected the grapes from excessive weather and reduced wind speed by half compared to open fields. The winery carried out technical studies showing a reduction in water consumption for irrigation of up to 20% and an increase in land yield of between 20% and 60%.

The experimentation continues. Svolta has cultivated more than 30 varieties of grapes, mainly indigenous to Puglia, and hopes to discover new surprises next year. The winery plans to produce sparkling wines from white grapes, for which it believes the agrivoltaic system will be particularly beneficial.

Image | Vigna Agrivoltaica di Comunità

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