Passion, dedication, sustainability. The Venica & Venica family, a historic and very important company in Collio, presents its FIRST SUSTAINABILITY REPORT. Let's listen to this wonderful interview with Ornella Venica Lauzzana, published by the Consorzio Collio.

Venica & Venica is the first in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and above all the first of this size to approach the world of sustainability. So far, in fact, much larger companies have published sustainability reports, such as Mezzacorona (which was the first), Banfi, Ruffino, Mastroberardino, Tasca d'Almerita and Chiarli.

Venica&Venica aims to become an ambassador in the world of good practices to maintain the vitality of the land and biodiversity. By this is meant all those actions and behaviours that aim to take care of people, the environment and the community in which the company operates.

It wants to transfer the values present within the company, where for example 45% of the workers are women. There is a real team of women who are employed in all areas of the company: in the offices, in working the land in the cellars. An anticipation of the goals set by the UN for 2030: to achieve complete emancipation of women.

In the Venica&Venica company, there are workers who come from the local area, as well as personnel from across the border and outside Europe. They all share and act as spokesmen for the values of the Venica family.

Video realisation: Francesco Facchini @themobilesidebyfrancescofacchini
Interview: Klementina Koren

What is green manure?

Green manure is a natural agricultural practice that involves sowing pure grasses or a mix of grasses, which are then used to fertilise the soil. This fertilisation technique, indispensable in organic viticulture, is also called green manuring. It consists of burying plants capable of releasing previously absorbed nutrients into the soil. Green manure replaces the use of chemical fertilisers, providing the soil with large quantities of nitrogen.

What are the benefits of green manuring?

The benefits are numerous!

Besides being a natural fertilisation technique, it increases the amount of organic matter in the soil. It protects the soil from the erosive action of rain and wind by retaining water. It contributes to the control of weeds and pests. It facilitates the descent of the roots of cultivated plants and maintains micro elements such as iron, manganese, etc. on the surface. Finally, it facilitates biodiversity by encouraging the establishment of beneficial insects.

In viticulture, green fertilisation brings more organic substance to the soil, promoting balanced vine development.

Which herbs should be chosen for green manure in viticulture?

Ideally, a seed mix should be used, in order to obtain a balanced nutrient supply. The seed mix contains different species of plants belonging to the leguminous families, which provide nitrogen to the soil, grasses, which are rich in fibre and promote the formation of organic matter and humus, and cruciferous plants, which combat the establishment of dangerous soil pests.

When to carry out green manuring?

Green manure sowing in viticulture should be done in autumn, after the grape harvest. Before sowing, the vineyard must be properly prepared by removing weeds with a mulcher, improving soil oxygenation with a soil loosener, and preparing the seedbed with a depth of approximately 20 centimetres. After preparing the soil, the mixture is sown on moist soil to facilitate germination. At this point, rolling is carried out after working the soil thoroughly.

Sustainable viticulture 🌱🌼🌿 Now is the best time to cut this flowering splendour in all our vineyards before the rain returns: green manuring, green manuring.

This particularly important practice of biodynamic viticulture increases soil fertility.
The mix of leguminous plants and grasses (including clover, vetch, oilseed rape, rye, rocket, mustard, etc.) is able to improve the quality and characteristics of the soil, including fixing atmospheric nitrogen in a form that the vines can use.

with Giorgio Venica

Rotopacker - Winter work at Venica

Nature stops in winter, but our work nevertheless continues. Even in this period we have a lot of work in our vineyards in Dolegna del Collio. This includes collecting and packing the vine shoots after pruning.

In the video some impressions during this work in the vineyard and how the rotary baler works.