Key Takeaways
- Villa Sandi has connected more than 200 hectares of vineyards in Italy's Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions through a single digital platform combining weather stations, leaf and soil sensors, drones, satellite imagery and AI decision-support tools.
- The system helps agronomists identify vine stress, monitor vegetative vigor plot by plot, and pinpoint the optimal harvest window in real time.
- Villa Sandi says the precision approach has reduced plant protection treatments by up to 20% and cut water consumption by an average of around 10% through optimized irrigation.
- In vineyards combining precision management with “M” series rootstocks developed with the University of Milan's Wine Research Team, water savings reach up to 70% compared with neighboring plots.
- Vice President Leonardo Moretti Polegato said the technology is meant to complement, not replace, the human expertise behind the winery's viticulture.
Villa Sandi Builds an Intelligent Vineyard Ecosystem
Villa Sandi, a family-owned winery in Italy's Veneto region and a producer of premium Prosecco, is expanding its use of precision viticulture by connecting more than 200 hectares of vineyards through a single digital platform that collects and interprets agronomic and climate data in real time. The initiative, launched more than two years ago across the company's estates in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, is part of a broader sustainability strategy that has earned all of Villa Sandi's vineyards Biodiversity Friend certification.
Inside the Precision Viticulture System
The system combines weather stations that track temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind; electronic leaf sensors that measure leaf wetness; and soil sensors that read moisture down to roughly 70 centimeters. AI-powered decision support tools turn that data into recommendations for agronomists, while drones and satellite imagery monitor vegetative vigor plot by plot, identifying variations within a few meters, early signs of vine stress, and the optimal harvest timing. Villa Sandi said the goal is to make vineyard management more precise, sustainable and resilient to climate change, supporting its growth in export markets, particularly the United States.
Measurable Gains in Water and Treatment Savings
Villa Sandi estimates the system has reduced plant protection treatments by up to 20% and cut water consumption by an average of around 10% through optimized irrigation. In vineyards where precision management is combined with soil composition studies and the “M” series rootstocks developed with the University of Milan's Wine Research Team, water savings reach up to 70% compared with neighboring vineyards.
Villa Sandi's Vice President on Combining AI and Human Expertise
“Technology does not replace human expertise — it makes it more informed,” said Leonardo Moretti Polegato, Vice President of Villa Sandi. “Viticulture is built on observation, sensitivity and an in-depth knowledge of the land. Today, we can complement that experience with digital tools and artificial intelligence that help us interpret large volumes of data and better understand the specific needs of every vineyard.”
“Over the next 10 to 20 years, I believe AI will have its greatest impact in helping us understand vineyards more deeply and make increasingly precise decisions,” Moretti Polegato added. “But the future of viticulture will not be driven by technology alone. The greatest value will come from combining artificial intelligence with human expertise.”
