The innovation comes from Australia: a sunscreen could allow all winegrowers to protect their grape berries from the high temperatures experienced during certain months of the year.
The sun, a source of energy that enables the creation and growth of plants and crops, often becomes the cause of their death or destruction instead. It is easy, especially in certain parts of the world and during certain months of the year, to find fields completely scorched by the sun, or crops damaged by high temperatures. Just this year we witnessed the failed production of extra virgin olive oil due to sudden climate changes.
An unusual but entirely preventive solution to sun-related crop damage comes from Australia: the answer to protecting grape harvests may lie in the use of sunscreen to shield each berry from sunburn – much like what happens to skin during summer sun exposure, grape berries can suffer similar scorching damage.
This is the theory explained by Bruce Tyrrell, president of Tyrrell's Wines, who during an interview about the Hunter Valley on the BBC described how caring for grape berries with special "sunscreens" is becoming essential.
The sunscreens that would protect grapes from intense solar radiation are nothing more than a layer of kaolinite, which shields the grapes from UV rays and thus prevents sunburn. Any remedy useful for protecting grape berries could prove indispensable for every winegrower. Several studies conducted last November by the AGWA – Australian Grape and Wine Authority – revealed that all clay-based sunscreens can preserve grapes exposed to heat stress while also accelerating their ripening, both on days exceeding 35 degrees and during full-day exposure to temperatures above 40 degrees. However, according to technicians, the treatment can only be applied when temperatures are below 28 degrees, as otherwise the cream could dry out before even reaching the grape berries.
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