At ENOFORUM 2026, held in Zaragoza on 20 and 21 May 2026 with the participation of 700 Spanish technicians and researchers, the preliminary data obtained by the DIPROVES of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Piacenza were presented, from an experimental vineyard in which, from 2025 onwards, anti-hail, anti-rain and shading nets have been installed.
Prof. Matteo Gatti, head of the research group on this viticultural innovation, presented some results from the 2025 growing season concerning the effects of the different types of net on the photosynthetic efficiency of the vine, the incidence of sunburn damage and grape composition. In general terms, it was found that the shading effect causes a less than proportional reduction in photosynthetic efficiency relative to the induced shading, while at the same time allowing a significant decrease in damage caused by excessive solar radiation and rising temperatures. Data from the 2026 and 2027 seasons will be crucial in confirming these preliminary observations.
The video is the full recording of the presentation given by Gatti at Enoforum 2026.
In addition to the scientific collaboration with the UCSC of Piacenza, the LIFE VinoShield project includes experimental fields with net installations in south-west France and the Spanish Rioja, in vineyards selected for their characteristics suited to studying the multiple benefits of these covering systems which, beyond protection against hail, can play a significant role in defending the vine against biotic and abiotic factors related to climate change. The project as a whole was presented in the same session of Enoforum 2026 by Agathe Barthelon of Texinov, the French company that manufactures the nets under study and coordinator of the LIFE project. The recording of the project presentation is included below.
