On Saturday, May 8, in the Agro Clave supplement of La Capital I was able to learn with pleasure that Santa Fe is already a territory of vineyards; and that the nice benteveos and parrots are not so nice for the producers, because they see that these birds usually destroy the promising bunches. Cafayate from Salta has its unmistakable “torrontés”, Mendoza its emblematic “malbec”, and San Juan does not lag behind in the quality of this varietal. In addition to the traditional and prestigious Cuyanas wineries, and the many vineyards and wineries of Salta, in recent years wineries have flourished in the lavish Patagonian soil. The Denomination of Controlled Origin (DOC), issued by the Argentine National Institute of Viticulture (INV), certifies the geographical situation of a territory, the composition of the soil, the numerous cultural tasks (fences, pruning, ditches, fertilization among others); the work of the grape pickers who harvest the grapes with a dedication that borders on the romantic; and the scientific work and without fainting of the winemakers and the people of the wineries. In our country there are two regions that have the Denomination of Controlled Origin that ensures the high quality of the wines from those regions, which in Mendoza correspond to Luján de Cuyo and San Rafael. Returning to the issue of benteveos and parrots whose taste for grapes ravages the vineyards, I believe that all the efforts of winemakers should not be left at the mercy of predatory birds. They have enough control of the fearsome plague of phylloxera and the sometimes adverse conditions of nature to throw away the illusions of a campaign under those birds. I know that it is a matter for specialists, but I read that since it is economically prohibitive to place protective nets on farms, it could be resorted to installing bird repellers using ultrasound systems, or trying the ingenious creation of the “scarecrow hawk” . I believe that everything should be tried so as not to see the harvest diminished or lost. The truth is that fierce families have been making wine history in Garibaldi, Villa Trinidad, Carreras and Arteaga for a few years; And despite their efforts, they are only now entering the knowledge space of the general public. And I suppose they cradle the dream that in the not too distant future the National Institute of Viticulture will distinguish them with the Denomination of Controlled Origin Santa Fe, a province that, as someone said, “is on the path of the conquerors.”
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