The MED-GOLD project organised a workshop at the SOGRAPE facilities in Avintes-Vila Nova de Gaia (Portugal) on the 27th of May. The workshop had the objective to discuss, together with users, the climate services tools developed for grapes and the wine sector. This event was a follow-up from a previous focus group organised a year ago at the same venue, to discuss climate knowledge necessary to support decision making for wine production.
The workshop was attended by 12 participants from different areas of the company, including the departments of oenology, viticulture, human resources, project management, hosting and public relations, innovation, quality and safety, property maintenance and general service. Three different themes were addressed. The first discussion focused on the best ways to visualize climate forecasts, and second and third discussions were devoted to identifying the most relevant information in terms of seasonal forecasts and long-term projections.
During the workshop, there was a notable interest from participants to continue being involved in the development of the climate services. Special interest was shown in seasonal forecasts, given their potential to improve the capacity and efficiency of decision making. On the other hand, climate projections were found to be more relevant for the strategic decision making of the company.
The workshop allowed MED-GOLD partners to receive feedback on the tools for the wine sector. Participants provided suggestions to make the tools clearer and more concise and indicated new information that could be added to increase the tool’s usefulness. Now it is the turn of MED-GOLD to implement the necessary modifications before the next workshop takes place, when further interactions with users will help validate the tool.
Written by Marta Terrado (Barcelona Supercomputing Center)
