Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Alpine Space

Date of latest update: 2025-11-11

Description

Description (EN):

Alpine Wine Orchards (AWO) represent a remarkable blend of culture, economy, and ecology. Nestled on steep slopes with minimal mechanization, these small-scale and often terraced vineyards offer much more than just wine production: they protect territories, promote tourism, create jobs, and preserve local traditions and communities. However, this precious heritage now faces increasing threats. Intensive competition for wine production, exorbitant management costs, and abandonment of rural areas loom large; and climate change exacerbates these challenges, posing additional risks to the fragile socioecological system of AWO. In light of these pressing issues, urgent action is needed to improve the resilience of AWO and make the wine sector fit for future challenges. The RESPOnD project has the ambition to mainstream Ecosystem-based Adaption (EbA) approaches to address the multiple challenges faced by traditional wine orchards in the Alpine Space. By focusing on synergies between nature conservation, climate mitigation, and adaptation, RESPOnD’s overall aim is to develop and test cost-effective, stakeholder-driven solutions to build a climate resilient wine sector. Collaborating closely with winegrowers, sector professionals and cooperatives, wine consortia, and public authorities – the RESPOnD target groups – the project will: (i) Identify AWO typologies to map important Ecosystem Services (ES) and the values they provide, and to analyse the expected impacts and risks of climate change; (ii) Co-design and test EbA approaches in different pilot actions through an innovative living lab approach, ensuring the scalability and transferability of results; and (iii) empower the project’s target groups in implementing EbA approaches and in building a climate-resilient wine sector via a suite of tailored online information & learning tools, dedicated resources and targeted dissemination and communication activities.

Actual Achievements (EN):

Following the project start in September 2024, the partnership met on 8-9 October 2024 for the kick-off event. Afterwards, LP01 Eurac prepared various tools at disposal of the partnership, such as online monthly meetings to share updates, budget trackers, a GANTT chart for the activities. Regarding WPs activities, they all proceeded in time as follows: WP1: WP1 leader, PP10 UBT-PES, launched the work on A1.1 (Designing Living Labs) starting by researching methodologies and knowledge about Living Labs, the analysis of best practices, potential challenges, stakeholder types, and methods for stakeholder engagement considering feedback from project partners; conducting on a thorough review of existing approaches in peer-reviewed and grey literature. Bilateral meetings were organized between WP leaders to ensure synergies between WPs and concomitance of the activities. Mid-RP1, PP10 sent surveys to partners to understand which stakeholders and challenges they include and face when it comes to ecosystem services and climate change in alpine wine orchards (AWO). In parallel, partners already shared preliminary information about their involvement in RESPOnD within their pilot areas and with their network, in line with the planned calendar in the Application Form. A specific workshop on ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) was organized by Eurac on 4 February 2025 to prepare the work of each pilot area of the project, sharing information on challenges and solutions to allow partners to work together on similar topics and identifying stakeholders to involve. In total, 19 people took part in the meeting, from all the partner institutions. All updates were regularly shared during monthly meetings. WP2: WP2 Leader, PP08 RDA-ROD, has launched A2.1 “In Depth analysis of targeted EbA measures in the Alpine Space”. They collected, through a common excel file, literature on Ecosystem-based Adaptation solutions from all the project partners, focusing mainly of EbA in their pilot areas but also beyond. Following this, PP08 RDA-ROD started preparing a template to fill in to analyse the collected literature and lead to the release of the catalogue of EbA during RP2, in line with the planned calendar in the Application Form. All updates were regularly shared during monthly meetings and, as explained in WP1 paragraph, bilateral meetings and the workshop’s results were of use for the organization of WP2 work. WP3: To start this activity, LP01 Eurac held several internal meetings with its ICT and Communication services to discuss how to prepare and implement the Online Learning Environment (A3.1). Preliminary ideas were discussed with partners during the kick-off and online monthly meeting, such as the potential structure of this online platform, as planned in the Application Form. Project communication All partners have followed the Interreg Alpine Space requirements regarding the communication objectives. Posters were displayed in all partners’ offices. PP05 CCINICE and LP01 Eurac have drafted together the RESPOnD communication strategy. A collaboration with an external graphic designer has also been taken in charge by LP01 Eurac in support of the corporate identity of the project. In particular, during RP1 the creation of a RESPOnD “Wine Road” has started, to emphasize pilot areas and ensure a nice communication. PP05 CCINICE and LP01 Eurac have created various communication tools such as trackers and official templates to use for presentations, etc. Social media accounts were created on LinkedIn and Instagram. Various interviews and posts were already published during RP1. The website is displayed in various meetings and used to give visibility to the pilot areas. In addition, all partners had bilateral communication and contact with their own network, through their own social media or through meetings linked to the activities of the project, in particular WP1 (Living Labs). Administrative and Financial All partners were able to submit their report and get a certificate on time for RP1. Bilateral meetings and exchanges were organized in that regard.

Project outputs: Report on the current conditions and resilience levels of AWO
(EN)
EbA approaches and transition pathways implemented in AWO pilots(EN)
Validated EbA approaches and transition pathways for AWO(EN)
Online information and learning environment to mainstream ecosystem-based thinking in AWO
(EN)

Thematic information

Tourism Agriculture and fisheries and forestry Climate change and biodiversity

Priority: (VI-B_AS_1) Climate resilient and green Alpine region

Priority specific objective: RSO2.4. Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention and resilience, taking into account eco-system based approaches

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO2 A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility

Type of intervention: 060 Adaptation to climate change measures and prevention and management of climate related risks: others, e.g. storms and drought (including awareness raising, civil protection and disaster management systems, infrastructures and ecosystem based approaches)

Partners (12)

Lead Partner: Eurac research

Partner’s ID if not PIC: IT01659400210

Address: Viale Druso , 39100 Bolzano, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website (not verified): https://www.eurac.edu/it

Total budget: EUR 455 080.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 341 310.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 113 770.00

Weinidylle Südburgenland

Name: Weinidylle Südburgenland

Partner’s ID if not PIC: ZVR 199536934

Address: Pinkataler Weinstrasse, 7546 Moschendorf, Austria

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.weinidylle.at

Total budget: EUR 100 600.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 75 450.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 25 150.00

Versuchszentrum Laimburg/Centro di Sperimentazione Laimburg

Name: Versuchszentrum Laimburg/Centro di Sperimentazione Laimburg

Department: Institute for Fruit Growing and Viticulture

Partner’s ID if not PIC: IT00136670213

Address: Laimburg, 39051 Pfatten, Italy

Department address: Laimburg, 39051 Pfatten, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.laimburg.it

Total budget: EUR 102 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 76 500.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 25 500.00

Universität Bayreuth

Name: Universität Bayreuth

Department: Professorship of Ecological Services (PES)

Partner’s ID if not PIC: DE811264317

Address: Universitätsstrasse, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany

Department address: Universitätsstrasse, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.pes.uni-bayreuth.de/en

Total budget: EUR 294 600.52

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 220 950.39

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 73 650.13

Univerza v Novi Gorici

Name: Univerza v Novi Gorici

Department: Wine Research Centre

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SI29880068

Address: Vipavska, 5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia

Department address: Glavni trg, 5271 Vipava, Slovenia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.ung.si

Total budget: EUR 169 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 126 750.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 42 250.00

Regijska razvojna agencija ROD Ajdovščina

Name: Regijska razvojna agencija ROD Ajdovščina

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SI65950704

Address: Vipavska cesta, 5270 Ajdovščina, Slovenia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Sectoral agency

Website: https://rra-rod.si/

Total budget: EUR 191 500.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 143 625.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 47 875.00

Wirtschaftsagentur Burgenland GmbH

Name: Wirtschaftsagentur Burgenland GmbH

Department: Regional development - Association

Partner’s ID if not PIC: ATU62149124

Address: Marktstraße, 7000 Eisenstadt, Austria

Department address: Marktstraße, 7000 Eisenstadt, Austria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Sectoral agency

Website: https://wirtschaftsagentur-burgenland.at

Total budget: EUR 217 709.75

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 163 282.31

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 54 427.44

Chambre de Commerce Italienne de Nice, Sophia Antipolis, Cote d’Azur

Name: Chambre de Commerce Italienne de Nice, Sophia Antipolis, Cote d’Azur

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR53414533620

Address: Boulevard Carabacel, 06000 Nice, France

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Business support organisation

Website: http://www.ccinice.org

Total budget: EUR 163 800.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 122 850.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 40 950.00

Parc naturel régional des Ballons des Vosges

Name: Parc naturel régional des Ballons des Vosges

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR27256802752

Address: Rue du Couvent, 68140 Munster, France

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://www.parc-ballons-vosges.fr/

Total budget: EUR 220 450.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 165 337.50

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 55 112.50

Centro di Ricerca, Studi, Salvaguardia, Coordinamento e Valorizzazione per la Viticoltura Montana

Name: Centro di Ricerca, Studi, Salvaguardia, Coordinamento e Valorizzazione per la Viticoltura Montana

Partner’s ID if not PIC: IT91014520075

Address: Loc Ferriere, 11010 Aymavilles, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.cervim.org

Total budget: EUR 131 375.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 98 531.25

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 32 843.75

Contractors:

Name: Maurizio Tomalino
VAT registration or tax identification number: 06848740012
Name: Fabrizio Colasurdo
VAT registration or tax identification number: 06088110017
Name: INSTITUT AGRICOLE RÉGIONAL
VAT registration or tax identification number: 00415990076

Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre

Name: Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre

Partner’s ID if not PIC: IT01094790118

Address: Via Discovolo c/o Località Manarola, 19017 Riomaggiore, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: National public authority

Website: http://www.parconazionale5terre.it

Total budget: EUR 164 800.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 123 600.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 41 200.00

Landwirtschaftskammer Kärnten

Name: Landwirtschaftskammer Kärnten

Department: Fruit and Viticulture Center

Partner’s ID if not PIC: AT25276705

Address: Museumgasse, 9020 Klagenfurt, Austria

Department address: Schulstraße 9, 9433 St. Andrä/Lavanttal, Austria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Business support organisation

Website: http://www.lk-kaernten.at

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Partners and Projects info

Weinidylle Südburgenland

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

Partners and Projects info

Laimburg Research Centre

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

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University of Bayreuth

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

Partners and Projects info

University of Nova Gorica

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

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Regional development agency ROD Ajdovščina

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

Partners and Projects info

Burgenland Business Agency

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

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Italian Chamber of Commerce of Nice, Sophia Antipolis, Cote d’Azur

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

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Regional Natural Park Ballons des Vosges

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

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Centre for Research, Environmental Sustainability and Advancement of Mountain Viticulture

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

Partners and Projects info

Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

Partners and Projects info

Eurac research

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

Partners and Projects info

Carinthian Chamber of Agriculture

Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

Project acronym: RESPOnD

Project ID: ASP0500429

Project start date: 2024-09-01

Project end date: 2027-08-31

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

Interreg AS project ADAPTNOW (2022/2025); Project partner involved: Eurac
(EN) | ADAPTNOW aims at strengthening the adaptive capacity of highly affected and exposed territories. RESPOnD will capitalise on tools and practices for climate adaption and risk mitigation implemented and tested by the project transferring the most promising to the viticultural sector in the Alps. (EN), Interreg AS project ADO (2019/2022); Project partner involved: Eurac (EN) | ADO developed an online platform for drought monitoring and forecasting with specific indicators for the AS region. The expertise gained and the lessons learnt from this project will be integrated by RESPOnD for the development of a new decision-support tool tailored to viticulture. (EN), Interreg AS project AlpES (2015/2018); Project partner involved: Eurac
(EN) | RESPOnD directly capitalises on the data and results of the project AlpES, by adopting the Alpine ES concept it developed and harnessing the ES modelling and mapping procedures and assessments carried out for the AS area as a basis for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of ES provided by mountain vineyards. (EN), EUSALP AG8 Climate Adaptation Platform for the Alps (CAPA) Project partner involved: EURAC
(EN) | RESPOnD will actively contribute to the ongoing CAPA initiative (AG8) by exploiting existing data and information for the analysis and implementation of a capacity building platform, as well as for testing good practices and pilot actions through participatory processes. Project results will be shared also through this platform, contributing to its development with new knowledge and useful data. AG8 members & CAPA developers are involved in LL, WP leaders take part in AG8 meetings/workshops. (EN), Interreg SI-AT Project BANAP (2019/2022); Project partner involved: WAB (EN) | BANAP – Balance for People and Nature project aimed to achieve sustainable development of natural and cultural heritage. Through pilot actions, BANAP focused on the conservation of biodiversity and cultural landscapes as crucial assets for farmers, society, and tourism in the project regions. RESPOnD will build upon BANAP for the development of EbA approaches aimed at enhancing ES and biodiversity. (EN),
Interreg IT-CH Project InTERRACED-NET (2019/2022); Project partner involved: CERVIM
(EN) | InTERRACED-NET co-designed integrated governance and management measures for the restoration and valorisation of terraced landscapes, through active involvement of local communities and farmers. RESPOnD will adopt its transdisciplinary approach, by having researchers work hand in hand with practitioners and place-placed experts to test and implement solutions that are relevant and feasible on the ground.
(EN), Interreg ALCOTRA project Vi.A Tour (2022/2023) Project partner involved: CERVIM
(EN) | The project Vi.A Tour aimed to boost cross-border tourism in less-visited vineyard regions, promoting vineyards, wine production, and sustainable tourism while highlighting vineyards natural and cultural heritage. It focuses on creating eco-friendly itineraries and promoting the Alpine Vineyard Route as an appealing tourist destination. RESPOnD will build on the experience of Vi.A Tour for the implementation of AWO EbA and governance pilot actions. (EN), H2020 LIVERUR project (2018/2021); Project partner involved: WAB
(EN) | LIVERUR - Living Lab research concept in Rural Areas project aims at expanding an innovative business model called Living Labs among the rural regions. Through strategic development of a rural Living Lab users, policymakers, companies, researchers enter into agreements and engage in longer term collaboration. RESPOnD will build on LIVERUR to reinforce collaboration among PP, observers, and project target groups and to maximize project impact. (EN), LIFE project ViVaCCAdapt (2016/2021) Project partner involved: ROD
(EN) | The project ViVaCCAdapt developed, established and tested measures to avoid the adverse effects of CC on agriculture (e.g., reduce use of irrigation water and damage caused by strong winds) in the area of the Vipava Valley (SI). RESPOnD will build on knowledge and capacity, particularly for what concerns the involvement of wine growers. (EN), Interreg AS project LUIGI (2019/2022); Project partner involved: Eurac, WAB (EN) | LUIGI explored and valorised the potential of green infrastructure, especially extensively managed orchards, for sustainable economic development, based on natural capital and ES. Guidelines developed by LUIGI contain important lessons learnt that RESPOnD will capitalise on, such as the key value of small landscape features for ecological connectivity and multifunctionality, including woody features and
hedgerows. (EN), BAUMGART initiative (2023/2025); Project partner involved: Eurac (EN) | The initiative BAUMGART (www.baumgart.it) is aimed at valorising the agricultural cultivation of meadow orchards throughout the Alps in all its facets, in terms of its cultural, culinary, aesthetic, economic and ecological value. Intermediate project results demonstrated that extensive agricultural practices have higher biodiversity. Experiences and knowledge gathered in this project will enrich the catalogue of agroecological solutions developed by RESPOnD. (EN), EUSALP cross-cutting Initiatives/Priorities of workplans (2023/2025) (EN) | RESPOnD seeks ongoing collaboration with EUSALP cross-cutting initiatives through PPs actively involved in AG6/7/8 events/workshops (local, trasn.) for exchange on project progress & alignment with AGs priorities. Specifically, EbA management recommendations will synergise with "Facilitating circular economy in short supply chains", "Promoting sustainable management of biodiversity and natural resources, especially water", "Water transition" & "GI goes business award". (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 2 210 915.27

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 658 186.45

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 75.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 1 658 186.45. Co-financing rate, 75.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Handbook for the co-creation and production of knowledge on AWO
Factsheets on a common understanding of AWO typologies and challenges
Dataset on key Ecosystem Services and bioclimatic indicators
Catalogue of EbA approaches and transition pathways in the AS
Co-designed grid of interventions
Report on lessons learnt and sustainability of pilot implementation
Handbook for the Online information and Learning Environment (OLE)
Training and learning package on EbA strategies to climate change
Capacity building material – Course Infographics

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyAlpineRegion RESPOnD contributes to EUSALP in many respects: O1.1 contributes to AG6 cultural heritage and landscape conservation activities with indicators on AWO values & characteristics available through OLE. O1.1 & O2.2 contribute to AG7 with good practices on how EbA enhance biodiversity and ES, providing access to the GI Goes Business Initiative. O1.1, O2.1, O2.2 contribute to AG8 with recommendations on adaptive AWO management & digital resources for the further implementation of the CAPA initiative.
EuropeanGreenDeal RESPOnD contributes to the EU Green Deal by supporting the wine sector to devise more sustainable value chains. This transition decouples the economic growth of communities depending on the wine industry from agricultural intensification and promotes biodiversity conservation. In particular, the project contributes to the Farm to Fork Strategy, harnessing opportunities for transition to sustainability. RESPOnD is also consistent with the Nature Restoration Law, as it contributes to secure ES.
TerritorialAgenda2030 RESPOnD contributes to the realization of the priority “healthy environment”and the aim of strengthening awareness and empowering local and regional communities to protect, rehabilitate, utilise, and reutilise their (built) environments, landscapes, material and immaterial cultural assets and other unique values.
Other RESPOnD contributes to the objectives of the Alpine Convention. Specifically, it addresses the aim of “maintaining the management of land traditionally cultivated by man and preserving and promoting a system of farming which suits local conditions and is environmentally compatible, taking into account the less favourable economic conditions", as stated by Article 2, 2g of the Framework Convention.
Other RESPOnD contributes to the implementation of the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy, by strengthening the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of Alpine rural areas and ensuring a better management of natural resources.
Other RESPOnD supports the implementation of the European Landscape Convention by promoting the conservation and valorisation of cultural landscapes such as the Alpine Wine Orchards and terraced landscapes target by project activities.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 121 - Area covered by protection measures against climate related natural disasters (other than floods and wildfire), Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 098 - SMEs staff completing training for skills for smart specialisation, for industrial transition and entrepreneurship (by type of skill: technical, management, entrepreneurship, green, other), Measurement unit:
RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSALP

EUSALP Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSALP Degree of compliance:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Alpine Space

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-11-11

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

46 / 46 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

467 / 467 (100%)

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Climate resilient alpine wine orchards

Description

Thematic information

Partners (12)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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