VitiFIT - Practical research project in organic viticulture

New grape varieties hold great promise for achieving the project’s goal of enhancing ecological benefits. The viticultural advantages identified here must be further validated, and existing practical barriers that hinder the cultivation and marketing of new grape varieties must be overcome. To this end, operational aspects and sustainability impacts will be evaluated along the entire value chain—from breeders through production facilities to distribution channels. The project will conduct digital time-tracking, surveys, market experiments, and case studies for this purpose. The project approach is integrated with real-world practice. A cross-process marketing and communication strategy is being developed, and the resulting target-group- and channel-specific recommendations for all stakeholders are intended to help new grape varieties achieve greater success in the wine market, thereby ensuring the intended project outcomes are realized.

In addition to the Wine Campus Neustadt and the Service Center for Rural Areas (DLR) Rural Area Service Center (DLR) Rhenish Palatinate, the DLR Rheinhessen-Nahe-Hunsrück, Geisenheim University, the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, the Julius Kühn Institute in Siebeldingen, the Freiburg Institute of Viticulture, and the Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture in Veitshöchheim. The organic farming associations Bioland, Demeter, ECOVIN, and Naturland are key partners in the consortium due to their close ties to the field.

Contact person – Subproject on Resistant Grape Varieties and Plant Protection, Rural Area Service Center (DLR) Rhenish Palatinate: Prof. Dr. Marc Dreßler via marc.dressler☞ Please insert an @ at this point ☜hwg-lu☞ Please insert a period at this point ☜de