2026 harvest begins in Sicily as Cantine Ermes picks first grape bunches

The fact that this summer intense heat is leading to an early grape harvest in many parts of Italy now seems almost certain. Yet, today, July 21st, 2026, the first grape bunches have officially been harvested, as it has been the case for years, in Sicily. “Today, from the vineyards of western Sicily, Cantine Ermes 2026 harvest begins. Cantine Ermes is Italy largest first-tier wine cooperative. With the harvesting of Pinot Grigio and the first early-ripening white grape varieties, a campaign gets underway which will involve the cooperative for approximately one hundred days, following the natural ripening calendar of grapes across the 7 Italian regions in which it operates, up to the final deliveries from the vineyards of Mount Etna”, explains a note from the winery, which overall comprises 16 facilities and more than 16,000 hectares of vineyards managed by 3,000 winegrowers.
“The harvest campaign begins after a year marked by particularly complex weather conditions. The abundant rainfall recorded between winter and spring replenished soil water reserves, but also led to significant phytosanitary pressure, requiring intensive monitoring activities and constant agronomic support in the vineyards. In several growing areas, fruit set issues also occurred during flowering, with inevitable repercussions on production potential”, explain representatives of Cantine Ermes. In particular, in the hillside vineyards of the Trapani area, where harvesting is now beginning, constant ventilation, an early summer characterized by generally mild temperatures through much of June, and significant temperature variations between day and night promoted balanced grape development, helping preserve freshness, acidity, and aromatic complexity. During July, two separate heat spikes accelerated the ripening of the earliest varieties, making precise harvest timing crucial.
“The harvest represents every year the most delicate moment in the work carried out by our member winegrowers and the cooperative technical team - underlines Rosario Di Maria, president of Cantine Ermes - the spring weather conditions required an extraordinary agronomic effort. Phytosanitary pressure was high, and yields are likely to be lower than in a normal year. The first grapes delivered, however, show good balance and promising quality characteristics. It is still too early to make an overall assessment of the 2026 harvest, but the initial feedback confirms that the work carried out in the vineyards and the timely execution of harvesting operations are allowing us to make the most of the potential of this year production”.
From western Sicily, harvest will continue for 100 days, following the natural ripening calendar of the various territories in which Cantine Ermes operates: Veneto, including the Prosecco area, Lombardy, with Oltrepò Pavese, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, the Abruzzi, Puglia, including Salento, and finally Sicily once again, where the campaign will conclude, as tradition dictates, in the vineyards of Mount Etna. Over these hundred days, the harvest will follow the progression of grape ripening along the Italian peninsula, passing through some of the country most important wine-producing districts.