To install Vadena. Dal 1991 Ulrich Pedri he works in the Oenology sector of the Laimburg Experimentation Center and has been its manager since 2008. With his team, Pedri deals with applied research and transfer of knowledge in close contact with winemakers and oenologists of the local wine cellars. Thanks to the tastings carried out, operators in the sector have the opportunity to inform themselves and keep up to date on the latest news from scientific research. «It is a pride to know that with our work we contribute to the improvement of the quality of a product as typical and relevant as the wine in Alto Adige».
What was your course of study and how did you discover Laimburg?
I was born and raised between Bolzano and Prato Isarco and, like many children, I had a passion for football which has remained in part. In high school I then developed an interest in the transformation of agri-food products, especially wine and cheese. In 1987 I completed my studies at the Agricultural Technical Institute of Ora. In the studio environment, the Laimburg Experimental Center was already known to everyone. After high school and a course in topographic surveying and technical drawing, I worked for a few years in a civil engineering and architecture technical office. After participating in a provincial competition, I was offered a position at the Laimburg Center, where I could choose between different fields. I had no doubts in recovering my passion as a student and I chose the role of researcher in the oenology sector. The details of how natural and technical processes work in food processing technologies have always fueled my curiosity. This is why I welcomed the opportunity to work at an applied research centre.
His relationship with the Laimburg Center is long-lasting now. Since 2008 you have been responsible for the entire Oenology research sector. How has the wine sector evolved at a local level over the years?
Compared to the production of apples, in South Tyrol the area dedicated to viticulture has only about 5,500 hectares, fragmented into many small companies and is thus one of the smallest wine-growing areas in Italy. The strengths of our viticulture today are undoubtedly the quality. But that wasn’t always the case. When I started my activity in the Oenology sector at the Laimburg Center, it was still at the beginning of the process of valorising South Tyrolean viticulture. At the end of the eighties it was understood that, in order to compete on the market by focusing on the high-end, production had to focus on quality. So starting from those years, we have observed a significant increase in the quality of the wines. In recent years we have noticed a further leap in quality of our local wine productions. Since about 2010 it has also become part of the market of the so-called “great wines” of the highest quality level. A further interesting development, which certainly contributes to the growth of our products, is the degree of professional training of the technical managers of the South Tyrolean wine cellars.
Tourism also plays an important role in the South Tyrolean wine market.
Exact. Certainly producing quality without being able to spread it is of little use. Tourism also comes into play here, which helps to spread the “Alto Adige Südtirol Doc” brand as a synonym of quality. One of the critical factors of our viticulture is, however, the fact that it is not possible to reduce production costs below certain levels. This is because a lot of manual work has to be done in the vineyard. The higher you climb, the more manual the work between the rows becomes. Therefore, the fact that we are located in an alpine hilly environment are two sides of the same coin, on the one hand it offers an ideal environment for quality production, on the other the high rate of manual work does not allow for lower prices.
Your activities focus on applied research, ranging from experimental trials in the cellar to consultancy and technical professional refresher courses. In particular, what do you offer to workers in the wine sector in South Tyrol?
Our research aims to be as immediately applicable as possible. We focus in particular on improving the typicality, the taste sensations of the wines and their shelf life. Furthermore, we also involve sector operators, making them part of our sensory panel for experimental wines. Our experts thus receive in real time a result of the experimental tests we conduct. Thanks to the various tastings that we carry out, they also have the opportunity to train their sensory analysis skills. Our oenological consultancy and knowledge transfer service is aimed at all operators in the sector, especially local winemakers. In this way we support companies in solving problems that arise during winemaking and can affect the quality and therefore the commercial value of the wine.
What are the opportunities for a researcher in South Tyrol and in particular at the Laimburg Center?
There are always opportunities in research and applied research as we carry it out at the Laimburg Experimentation Center, in close contact with interest groups, takes us forward one step at a time. There are various professional satisfactions that we collect during our journey, knowing that with our work we have contributed to the improvement of the quality of a product as typical and relevant as the wine in Alto Adige.
To close, a somewhat philosophical question. What does being a researcher mean to you?
As a researcher I hope to create something that will last over time or at least that could be the basis for future developments. But above all, being a researcher for me means being able to learn something new every day.