Harvest 2022, the first bunches of Moscato and Pinot Grigio cut in Sicily, from Settesoli

Wine producers all over Italy are hoping for a few more rains in order to face a 2022 harvest that, due to drought and great heat, will be complex and, probably, anything but abundant in many areas. Meanwhile, as has been the case for some time, the very first bunches of grapes have already fallen, and cutting them is once again Cantine Settesoli, in Sicily, one of the most important cooperatives in Italy and in the South (with 6,000 hectares of vineyards, 1,000 of which are organic, tended by 2,000 winemakers, for a production of 20 million bottles, with 36 grape varieties and wines that end up in 45 markets around the world), led by Giuseppe Bursi.
“We thought we were lagging behind past years, then the great heat accelerated veraison and ripening, and we started yesterday, July 28, almost out of the blue, in the territory of Menfi, with the first bunches of Pinot Grigio and Moscato, destined for the production of still wines. The harvest, completely manual, if there are no unforeseen events on the weather front, will go on regularly, we will move on to Sauvignon Blanc, starting with the night harvest, and then gradually with the other varieties, for a harvest that lasts more than two and a half months here”, explained, to WineNews, Roberta Urso (Cantine Settesoli).
Cantine Ermes, another large Sicilian cooperative (which conducts over 6,000 hectares in the provinces of Trapani, Agrigento and Palermo), in the Gibellina area of Trapani, also kicked off the harvest today. As always, it must be said, considering the great Italian variety of wines and territories, these are the very first bunches harvested, almost a "preview," with the harvest still far off in many areas, and for many varieties. Unless weather conditions push towards a major advance in harvest operations.