DOWN IN THE DIRT
Great wine starts in the vineyard, presenting a unique taste of time and place defined by sun, sky and soil. Threats to any of these elements can result in lesser quality and an elevated price.
Winegrowers around the globe have a host of tactics to combat vineyard perturbations.
One approach is to work with soil scientists. Historically, their role in viticulture has been to map types of soil in a vineyard, like volcanic, limestone and calcareous.
As science evolves, however, winegrowers are learning that soil microbes play a monumental role in vine health and wine quality. Scientists, in turn, are focusing their attention to the community of microorganisms living within the soil, called the biome.
“We can now see bioactivity and use the information to boost whatever dimension is desired: quality, yield, etc.,” says Adrián Ferrero, cofounder and CEO of Biome Makers, a microbial soil-analysis company.
Healthy soil is
