Abstract:
FOREWORD
Fifteen years after the application of Portugal to be a member of the European Union, the Portuguese wine-industry followed the same route Italy and France had followed, in the years 60’s, when the European marked started to be transparent.
The European project to reduce governmental influence in favour of a free market, and help the newcomers to assimilate their technical, scientific and commercial potential, changed the Portuguese wine industry in a most fundamental way that ever happened in the old wine world.
As a wine producer, it was a challenge for me to face the new situation and the integration in the technological and commercial upgrading of the wineries, cooperatives and grapevine growers.
Criteria had to be established for the improvement of the plant material, in accordance with the wine producers’ demand in favour of indigenous varieties and implementation of integrated production methods and techniques.
To clarify the controversy and contradictions in biotechnology, it was considered necessary to held a discussion on scientific aspects, by an international grapevine community, with the support of official and private organisations.
The sponsorship of the President of the Portuguese Republic and of ISHS, as well as the participation of CAP (Confederation of Portuguese farmers) and ATEVA/CVRA (inter-professional organisation of the progressive quality-wine area in Portugal), has been a guarantee of a week of innovative conversations, which hopefully will contribute to the advance of the globalisation process in Portugal to face the challenge of the international markets.
Finally it must be underlined that, although the economic situation demanded great sacrifices, the organization of this Symposium shows the value of private initiative.
The high profile of the participants, the excellent work of the agency MeetingPoint, and the harmonious collaboration of the executive and scientific committees resulted in the great success mentioned by Prof.
Ben Ami Bravdo from ISHS, in his heartfelt conclusion, on the final celebrations of this Congress.
Hans Jörg Böhm, Convener
WELCOME
Dear Colleagues,
I wish to salute the scientific community assembled here, in Lisbon, to discuss relevant problems concerning one of the most important crops in its different productive aspects, going from selection and improvement of cultivars to the most recent biotechnological developments, including modernization of viticulture, sanitary aspects, environment preservation and challenge imposed by the wine market.
All these questions are relevant for obtaining an end product of high quality – the wine, one of the drinks with more impact in the mankind history, since ancient times.
An interesting aspect in the organization of this first Symposium on grapevine is the fact that it was planned by a private company from a small country in this New Europe.
The difficulties concerning such a task are easy to imagine in any place of the world but they are even greater in a country like this.
It was intended to join scientists, private company owners, nurserymen and other economical agents, giving them an opportunity to expose and defend common interests in a scientific perspective.
The programme has been prepared in order to obtain answers to several questions, to define what will be the future of grape production and wine making, if the ‘old world’ should continue with the policy of subsidies and restriction regulations or if the rules of the free market should prevail.
It was also intended to demonstrate the dramatic advances of the Portuguese viticulture and wine industry after the integration of Portugal in the European Union, as a result of the considerable investments made in the last years, either on the modernization of the vineyard area (about one third of the total) by improving indigenous Vitis vinifera or by updating the wineries, originating a capacity production over three million hl of high tech wine.
The texts of several communications presented at the Symposium, either orally or in posters, were not provided by the authors and are not included in this book which, for this reason, does not reflect all the richness of the contributions presented.
I had the privilege to act as a Chairman of the Scientific Committee, giving support to this innovative event.
When it was announced, the answer of the scientific community was almost immediate.
This was indeed a first memorable event in this Country and intended to be a landmark in the world of grapevine and wine.
Its success is also linked to the support of ISHS.
The Organization hope that the participants have had a pleasant stay in this city of light, located at the Tagus river banks, with an opportunity to taste the wines of this country full of sunshine and nice gastronomic delicacies.
Óscar A. de Sequeira
PREFACE
The papers contained in this volume of Acta Horticulturae report the Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Grapevine Growing, Commerce and Research.
Keynote speakers and authors of selected contributed oral and poster presentations were given the opportunity to submit a manuscript for publication.
These manuscripts were reviewed by the members of the Editorial Board.
Only those papers judged suitable for publication following the authors consideration of reviewer suggestions appear in this volume of Acta Horticulturae.
The ISHS acknowledges and appreciates the contribution of all editors and reviewers.
They have made a significant contribution to improving the quality of this publication.
The ISHS Board of Directors
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