BERMAD Irrigation Solutions at the Heart of a Brunello di Montalcino Vineyard

Ferenc Badia

Marketing Manager

Background

BERMAD’s irrigation solutions operate across every scale of agriculture, from irrigation infrastructures of consortiums managing water across large farming regions to private agricultural enterprises where every drop directly affects crop quality and performance.

One notable and interesting example can be found in the heart of Tuscany. For more than 30 years, Banfi, one of Italy’s most renowned wine producers, has relied on BERMAD solutions to manage irrigation across its extensive agricultural estate, including the vineyards behind its celebrated Brunello di Montalcino wines.

Banfi’s roots go back to the Italian-American Mariani family, whose wine business began in New York in 1919 with John Mariani Sr. Decades later, in 1978, the Mariani brothers established the Banfi winery in Montalcino, Tuscany, beginning the estate’s own production of high-quality wines, most notably its famous “Brunello di Montalcino” bottles.

Banfi’s relationship with BERMAD began in the 1990s with the installation of BERMAD 900 Series hydrometers for irrigation control. The solution combines a mechanical water meter with a Woltmann-type turbine and the functionality of a hydraulic control valve in a single body, enabling flow measurement together with functions such as on/off control, pressure reduction and pressure sustaining.

The Challenge

Banfi’s Agricultural Production

Banfi is one of Italy’s largest wine producers, managing approximately 2,700 hectares of agricultural land, predominantly dedicated to vineyards. The irrigation method Banfi uses is drip irrigation, installed on over 1,000 hectares that integrate vineyards as well as fruit trees like plum orchards, all controlled by BERMAD solutions. As Stefano Fioravanti, Banfi’s Technical Manager, says, “Practically 100% of the hectares’ irrigation is controlled by valves and other BERMAD components”

Irrigation practices in the vineyards are strictly aligned with the requirements of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG regulations. For red wine production, irrigation is only permitted under emergency conditions, in accordance with Brunello di Montalcino DOCG regulations, to protect vine health and preserve grape quality. White wine varieties, on the other hand, can be irrigated according to their agronomic requirements and appellation specifications, allowing growers to maintain optimal water balance and vineyard performance throughout the growing season.

Although Banfi is internationally renowned for its Brunello wines, the estate also cultivates other crops, including plum orchards. These crops are irrigated according to their agronomic requirements, allowing Banfi to optimize production while supporting the overall sustainability of the estate.

During the early stages of Banfi’s irrigation development, all irrigation valves were operated manually. Throughout the irrigation season, a team of approximately ten operators was required to travel across the estate to open and close valves located in different irrigation sectors. Due to the vast size of the property, staff had to use all-terrain vehicles to move between installations. This approach involved significant labor costs and a considerable investment of time every irrigation season.

The Solution

A Proven Basis for Decades of Reliable Irrigation

Most of Banfi’s 900 Series hydrometers are installed in the 910 configuration, combining water measurement with on/off irrigation control. Many of the units installed in the early 1990s are still operating today with only routine maintenance, a strong testament to the solution’s long-term reliability.

“The 900 Series was chosen essentially for its ease of use and reliability (…) there are valves that have been installed since the early 1990s and are still the same ones,” says Stefano Fioravanti.

This proven combination of simplicity, versatility and durability has also made the 900 Series widely used by irrigation consortiums across Southern Europe, with more than 300,000 units installed.

From Manual Operation to Fully Automated Irrigation – Saving time and Money

Over the years, Banfi has progressively modernized its irrigation infrastructure with support from BERMAD’s Engineering Department. The introduction of OMEGA controllers enabled remote operation of the irrigation network, allowing users to monitor flow data from hydrometers and automatically control valve opening and closing based on irrigation time or predefined flow volumes. As a result, irrigation management is more efficient, reducing manual intervention and improving operational control across the estate. For fruit trees and vineyards producing white wine, Banfi irrigates by time; for vineyards producing red wine, irrigation is by volume due to the DOCG restriction.

As Stefano Fioravanti, Banfi’s Technical Director, told BERMAD:

“In the last two years, we have also been purchasing Omega systems, which allow us to make the installations more autonomous and manageable remotely”.

Watch out case study video:

Banfi’s Method with the Pumping Stations

Banfi’s irrigation water is pumped from a river located within the property. In this installation, an Omega controller is connected to the pumps at the pumping stations. The system is configured so that a 900 series hydrometer immediately downstream of the pumping station acts as the master valve. The controller first opens this valve, then starts the pump. This ensures the valve is open before the pump activates, preventing the pump from operating against a closed valve. Banfi’s irrigation uses very few pressure-reducing valves because each pumping station pumps at the ideal pressure for the crop and irrigation system, usually drip irrigation in this case.

Besides hydrometers, the most common valve application in the system is pressure-sustaining control. A limited number of valves also incorporate pressure-reducing functionality. For this purpose, BERMAD 400 Series valves were installed at strategic locations throughout the network. These valves ensure the upstream section remains pressurized at the required level, contributing to stable operation and reliable water distribution across the irrigation network.

Filtration Stations

Water drawn from the nearby river may contain suspended sediments, making filtration essential to Banfi’s irrigation system. To ensure water quality, several filtration stations have been installed throughout the estate.

At the inlet of each filtration station, BERMAD 700 Series valves in the 730-55 configuration are used. These valves can be remotely opened and closed by a solenoid. The valve performs a pressure-sustaining function, maintaining the upstream network at a controlled pressure during filtration.

Each filtration station is equipped with its own pump located upstream of the filters. To protect the filters and downstream pipeline infrastructure from pressure spikes, a BERMAD 700 Series valve in the 73Q Quick Relief configuration is installed. This valve automatically opens when excessive pressure is detected, providing rapid pressure relief in the event of sudden pressure surges, such as those caused by pump shutdowns or power failures. This protection mechanism helps prevent damage to the filtration equipment and ensures the long-term reliability of the irrigation network.

Main Benefits

Over more than 30 years, Banfi has developed a reliable and increasingly automated irrigation network with BERMAD solutions. The system has reduced manual field work, enabled remote monitoring and precise irrigation control, and improved pressure management and infrastructure protection across the estate.

Contact Us