Water in Oria

H2O. So important and yet so simple at the same time. Water is the basis of life, and a fundamental factor when making wine as it represents 85% of the precious elixir.

In Oria, we have 2 rivers that define our landscape. The TUOMA and the FONTE CALDA. Both provide moisture to the soil for our vines, olive trees and wheat fields. But it is the FONTE CALDA our favorite, because of its thermal waters already cooled by the trip from Bagno Vignoni, these are the ones that we will heat again with the help of the sun to have a thermal bath inside our property. An irresistible plan for lovers of good living!

Bagno Vignoni, Toscana

At Oria we seek to preserve water in the best way possible. This is why we designed the most effective irrigation system possible.

The frequency of irrigation will depend on the stage of the plant. Lack of water during fruit formation and ripening reduces berry size. On the other hand, if irrigations are too frequent or excessive near harvest, they can delay berry ripening or increase bunch compaction, thus favoring their loss of quality and rotting due to fungal attack. Excessive watering after periods of drought can also cause berry splitting.

A number of factors are taken into account when choosing the correct irrigation system. Among them, one of the most important is the climate, since it will depend a lot on temperature, relative air humidity, whether it is an area with winds, spring frosts, evapotranspiration, etc. The type of soil also plays a role: depth, texture, permeability and infiltration, as well as the topography of the terrain. The planting system and the cultivation technique used should not be forgotten. A different irrigation system should be used depending on the layout, density, planting systems, pruning, soil maintenance and fertilization, as well as phytosanitary treatment of the vineyard.

Some of the most used systems:

- Blanket irrigation: Requires good soil leveling. In addition, it requires a large instantaneous water flow.

- Sprinkler irrigation: Consists of applying water to the soil simulating rain. This effect is achieved thanks to the pressure at which the water flows inside a pipe system and is expelled to the outside through the nozzles of a sprinkler.

- Drip irrigation: Is being implemented more and more each day since it gives the best results. It has the great advantage that it can be fully automated. In general, it is sufficient to use two drippers per vine, placed 15 centimeters from the vine, although this depends on the development of the vine and the permeability of the soil. The working pressure of the drippers is usually two bars and their normal flow rate is 1.1 gallons per hour.

- Subsurface drip irrigation: This is a type of drip irrigation in which the lateral emitter-holders are buried in the soil at a certain depth, between 5 and 50 centimeters. The installation should be made in the center of the street, so that the wet bulb wets the roots of two rows of plants. Always work with pipes whose dripper is integrated into the interior, although pricked drippers can be used. It must be a reliable dripper, of the highest quality, and with a specific design that makes it resistant to obstructions due to particle deposition in the labyrinth of the dripper.

In Oria we will use sprinkler irrigation, since this model that simulates rain will allow us to achieve the vineyard-garden with corridors between vines filled with pastures that improve the ph of the soil and provide the nutrients and minerals that the vines need.