Our winery continues to advance in the study of the vineyard with a clear premise: to know the vine better in order to care for it more effectively.
Along these lines, we have collaborated with Abadía Retuerta on a research project that seeks to develop a simple and precise method to assess the state of the vineyard , based on the correlation between the growth of the shoots and the thermal integral accumulated in each day.
The study, led by Ángel Anocíbar (Abadía Retuerta) with the participation of the technical team of EL GRIFO provides a new practical approach that allows you to evaluate the response of the vine to the climate, optimize interventions in the field and, ultimately, improve the quality of the grapes.
A simple, measurable, and useful method
The system developed, called MCAR (Retuerta Abbey Growth Method) , is based on a key finding: there is an almost 100% correlation between the growth of vine shoots and the degrees of thermal integral (or sum of heat) during the period between budding and flowering .
This data allows the vigor and balance of the vineyard to be assessed in real time , without the need to resort to more complex or expensive techniques, such as pressure chambers or remote sensing sensors.
The simplicity of the method—based on daily measurements of shoot growth and temperature data from a weather station—makes it an accessible tool for wineries seeking to apply technical criteria with precision and efficiency.
Practical applications in vineyard management
The study demonstrates that this system can be successfully applied to various key decisions in viticulture:
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Green pruning planning: allows you to determine the optimal time to intervene and reduce labor costs.
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Plant cover management: makes it easier to detect if the vegetation is competing excessively with the vine for water or nutrients.
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Vineyard topping: helps predict the final size of the shoots and adjust intervention according to the vigor of the year.
In the case of EL GRIFO, the method has been applied experimentally in our Malvasía Volcánica vineyards in Lanzarote, confirming its validity in warm climates and extreme growing conditions , very different from those on the Iberian Peninsula. The results obtained are promising and open new avenues for precision viticulture adapted to the volcanic environment .
Collaborative science for a more efficient vineyard
This project reflects the value of collaboration between leading wineries in Spanish wine innovation. The exchange of knowledge between Abadía Retuerta, El Grifo, Artuke, and Menade has allowed for the validation of the method in different regions and with different grape varieties , demonstrating its versatility and its potential to improve the agronomic and economic management of vineyards.
At EL GRIFO, this line of research joins other ongoing projects — such as the aromatic characterization of Malvasía Volcánica , regenerative viticulture or the study of the thermal integral in Lanzarote — which consolidate our commitment to a viticulture based on knowledge and sustainability .
This study presents the conclusions of 5 years of work in the Abadía Retuerta vineyard.
There is an almost 100% correlation between the growth of vine shoots and the degrees of thermal integral of that day, in the period between budding and flowering.
From flowering onwards, the vineyard's metabolism changes; it begins to accumulate reserves, and its behavior then depends on other factors. The integral degrees required to grow 1 cm indicate the vine's condition.
This system allows you to assess the suitability of leaving plant cover, plan topping, or manage green pruning, obtaining higher quality grapes at a lower cost.
