Project funded under the 2025 call for supra-regional Operational Groups within Spain’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027, with co-financing from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, EAFRD.
PENVITIS+ is implemented in two phases, from 11 November 2025 to 30 April 2029, covering the 2026, 2027 and 2028 winegrowing seasons. The project has a total budget of €599,239, with 80% co-financing from the EAFRD.
The PENVITIS+ Operational Group brings together designations of origin, wineries, public research organisations and specialised entities from Catalonia, Galicia and the Canary Islands. This territorial coverage makes it possible to test the proposed solutions under different climatic, soil and production conditions, all within the context of steep-slope or heroic viticulture.
INNOVI, Catalan Wine Cluster: Representative and coordinator of the Operational Group. It is responsible for overall coordination, activity monitoring, internal communication and the transfer of results to the wine sector.
Association of Winegrowers and Wineries of the Canary Islands, AVIBO: Managing organisation of the DOP Islas Canarias. It coordinates the activities carried out in the Canary Islands and connects the project with winegrowers and wineries across the archipelago.
DOQ Priorat Regulatory Council: Represents the Catalan territory and contributes to identifying the needs of winegrowers working on steep slopes and slate soils. It also supports the transfer of results among the designation’s wineries and growers.
Adegas Moure, SA: A Ribeira Sacra winery participating in the Galician field trials. It provides commercial vineyard plots and practical expertise in managing vineyards on steep hillsides.
Celler Mas Doix, SL: A DOQ Priorat winery hosting the Catalan trials. It participates in cover-crop establishment, canopy and vegetation management, validation of predictive models and drone-based treatment trials.
The project also involves the DO Ribeira Sacra Regulatory Council, Bodegas Viñátigo, the Canary Institute for Agri-food Quality, the Galician Viticulture and Oenology Station, the Catalan Institute of Vine and Wine, GALA Media and ZABALA Innovation.
The three public research organisations provide scientific monitoring and technical validation in each region. GALA Media supports communication and dissemination, while ZABALA Innovation contributes to technical coordination, monitoring and administrative management.
Heroic viticulture takes place under particularly demanding conditions, including slopes of more than 30%, high-altitude vineyards, small islands and plots located on steep hillsides near rivers, seas and mountain areas. Ribeira Sacra, Priorat and the Canary Islands are representative examples of this production model.
These vineyards have significant landscape, economic and cultural value. They preserve local grape varieties, maintain agricultural landscapes, reduce rural abandonment and can act as barriers against forest fires. They also produce wines with a strong territorial identity and support complementary activities such as wine tourism.
However, steep slopes and small plots make access difficult and severely limit the use of conventional machinery. Many operations must still be carried out manually, increasing production costs, physical workload and occupational risks.
Climate change is making these difficulties more severe. Heatwaves, droughts, torrential rainfall and erosion affect soil stability, yields and grape ripening. Intense heat can cause berry sunburn, increase potential alcohol levels and reduce acidity and freshness.
Winegrowers are also facing growing pressure from pests and diseases, while the number of authorised plant protection substances is decreasing. They therefore need tools that can anticipate risks, support preventive decisions and ensure that treatments are applied only when necessary.
PENVITIS+ addresses these needs by combining regenerative practices, artificial intelligence, sensors, climatic data, automation and drones.
The overall objective of PENVITIS+ is to study, implement and disseminate innovative winegrowing practices that improve the resilience and sustainability of small vineyards on steep slopes.
The first specific objective is to improve grape and must quality through regenerative and climate-adaptation practices. Cover crops, vegetation management and the correction of acidic soils will be used to promote more balanced technological and phenolic ripening.
The second objective is to develop a digital system based on algorithms and artificial intelligence. By integrating climatic, agronomic, soil-moisture and functional biodiversity data, the system is expected to predict at least 80% of pest and disease incidents and reduce plant protection treatments by 30%.
The third objective is to reduce the time spent on manual plant protection operations by 30% through sensors, automation, robotics and drones adapted to difficult vineyard conditions.
The fourth objective is to transfer the results through at least five communication channels, reaching a minimum of 500 wine-sector professionals and members of the wider public.
Field trials will be carried out in Catalonia and the Canary Islands to assess cover crops and different vegetation-management strategies.
Cover crops are expected to reduce erosion, improve soil structure and water retention and support biodiversity. Vegetation and canopy management will also be used to protect grape bunches from excessive solar exposure.
The project will monitor vegetative growth, plant water status, ripening, must quality, sugar levels, acidity, pH and phenolic composition.
The expected outcome is a 30% reduction in heat and sunburn damage and a more balanced grape-ripening profile.
Weather stations and field sensors will collect climatic, agronomic and soil-moisture data.
Artificial intelligence algorithms will be applied in the Canary Islands, while epidemiological and mechanistic models will be tested in Galicia. Their performance will be compared to identify the most appropriate system for each climate and disease.
The selected models will subsequently be validated in Catalonia. The final system should predict at least 80% of pest and disease incidents and reduce plant protection treatments by 30%.
Drones will be tested for the application of plant protection products in vineyards in Galicia, the Canary Islands and Catalonia.
Drone applications will be compared with manual and conventional treatment systems. The assessment will cover accuracy, crop coverage, working time, product use, safety, costs and treatment efficacy.
The objective is to reduce physical workload and cut the time spent on treatment operations by at least 30%.
Results from the three regions will be compared to identify the most effective solutions and the conditions required for their implementation.
The project will produce practical recommendations, organise at least six technical events and publish a final technical report through a minimum of five specialist media outlets and digital platforms.
The communication plan runs from March 2026 to 30 April 2029 and has a budget of €44,333.47.
Activities include the creation of the project’s visual identity and website, social-media communication, videos, infographics, press releases, technical articles, newsletters and other dissemination materials.
Regional workshops, field demonstrations, seminars and a final results event will also be organised.
The involvement of the designations of origin will help transfer the results directly to a broad community of growers and wineries. This will support the replication of the validated practices and technologies in other winegrowing regions facing steep slopes, limited mechanisation and similar climate-related challenges.
Ea sit quaeque consulatu, nam causae nonumes in, ne sea graeci quidam pericula. Id eius scriptorem sit, affert ridens ea eam, no est illum instructior. Cu veri gubergren appellantur vis. Te summo facilisi constituto qui, ad mundi nemore causae pro. Equidem euripidis at vis, mundi intellegat quaerendum ex sit, ea nusquam fierent mea.
Ea pro nisl adhuc consequat. Mei at posse graecis epicurei, novum causae erroribus usu no, ne ubique praesent scribentur quo. Ea vis quod labitur sapientem, qui te putant laoreet sententiae, alii velit vidisse eam ex. Eum ut idque soluta diceret.
Comments