Midwest Wine Press

Acquaviva Winery’s Multi-Row Bird Netting

by · August 24, 2012

Midwest Wine Press database manager, Nisha Aher, at Acquaviva Winery

Acquaviva Winery, Maple Park, Illinois

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Aquaviva Winery is using bird netting that covers multiple rows at its 20 acre vineyard in Northeast Illinois on the outskirts of Chicagoland.   According to general manager, Joe Brandonisio,  only red grapes are covered with special bird netting that goes over multiple rows.

The larger nets make is easier to get tractors down the rows, he said.  Vines also benefit from not being crimped by tight nets,  he added.  The Aquaviva setup results in better airflow and improved sunlight exposure, Brandonisio claims.   Once the special, taller  fence posts are up, hanging the larger netting is no more time-consuming than netting the standard rows.

Brandonisio, who harvested Prairie Star and Brianna this week, said the quality of these two grapes could exceed last year.  Last year’s Aquaviva Brianna won the Governor’s Cup for the best white wine at the Illinois State Fair Wine Competition.  Brandonisio told Midwest Wine Press that red grapes will be harvested during the next two weeks.

Acquaviva, which has been growing grapes in Illinois for ten years, believes that the keys to growing quality hybrid grapes are allowing sunlight to reach the clusters and not letting the fruit hang too long, Brandonisio said.   Acquaviva also has apple orchards and a 20,000 square facility that includes a tasting bar and a restaurant with a Neapolitan style pizza oven.

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Mark Ganchiff

Mark Ganchiff is the publisher of Midwest Wine Press, the leading source of news on the growing wine industry in the central United States. Mark has been a wine judge at the 2012 and 2014 INDY International Wine Competition, the 2014 Cold Climate Wine Competition, the 2013 Mid-American Wine Competition, the 2012 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition and the 2013 Michigan Wine Competition. He also enjoys speaking at wine events including the Cold Climate Wine Conference, the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association Annual Meeting, the Midwest Grape and Wine Conference and the Wisconsin Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Mark's articles about regional wine have appeared in Vineyard & Winery Management, WineMaker and several regional magazines. Mark is a Level One Sommelier in the Court of Master Sommeliers. He lives in Louisville, but also has a residence in Chicago.

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1 Response

  1. Bird Control Sussex says:
    February 20, 2013 at 1:18 am

    I will surely try multi netting techniques to save the crop. It’s such a great blog. I really like the quality information you have shared.