We all like ladybirds, don’t we? But maybe not the taste of them!
Drinks Business reports from the “Cool climate conference” that recently took place in Tasmania that ladybugs often are seen as a positive presence in the vineyards because they eat insects that could harm the vines. But if you have a lot of them in the vineyard, and especially around harvest time, you risk getting some of them inside the fermentation tanks. Which is not a good thing because they bring with them a compound called IPMP (2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine) that taints the wine and you risk getting bitter and green flavours.
You can reduce the number of ladybugs in the vineyards by spraying with potassium metabisulphite. Or try singing “Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home…”
