Harvest impressions: the first bunches in the cellar and great expectations, the oenologists speak

With a thousand worries coming from the markets of the world, all still more or less strongly slowed down by the effects of the pandemic, most of the wine producers of Italy breathe a little optimism looking at the vineyard. And if it's too early to take a position in quantitative and qualitative forecasts, as recalled in recent days by the president of Assoenologi Riccardo Cotarella, who will present his detailed forecasts on September 3 at the Ministry of Agriculture, together with Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) and Ismea, the first bunches harvested of white and early varieties in many territories of the Belpaese, and the monitoring of the vineyards by companies and oenologists, suggests, although with the utmost caution, a harvest without too many problems, and with more than positive expectations for the coming wine. As told, in WineNews, by some of the most important oenologist consultants in the Belpaese, from Carlo Ferrini to Giuseppe Caviola, from Riccardo Cotarella to Donato Lanati, who work alongside many of the most important wineries in the Belpaese, from Piedmont to Sicily.
“In Trentino the situation is very good, the rain was not lacking - Ferrini explains - while in the Marche region in Abruzzo there is some drought problems but the harvest is late and we hope for some rain in the coming days. There are no particular problems in Sicily, where it could be a very positive harvest. In Tuscany, instead, there are some areas - continues Ferrini - that suffer a lot from the lack of water: like Maremma, some parts of Montalcino. But if it rains soon I would be optimistic. But we have to be serious not take a position, because the harvest will be decisive in the last month. Moreover, it has also become impossible to make analyses for macro-areas and macro-regions: a few days ago 20 millimeters of water came down in an area of Chianti Classico, in an area that must have been a square kilometer, a micro-area. By now, we are thinking in areas that are more than micro, tiny I would say”.
Positive sentiment, to date, also for Giuseppe Caviola: “in Piedmont the sensations are very good, we started with the first sparkling wine bases, in Alta Langa, with excellent data in terms of acidity and freshness. For now the season has gone well, with storms and rains at the right time and that did no damage, which gives us hope for the red berry varieties, first of all Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. In Tuscany the situation is leopard spot, there are some very interesting areas, others, like some vineyards in Montalcino, that are suffering a bit of stress due to the lack of water, but we hope that some rain will come. Also in the Marche of Verdicchio we are doing well, as well as in Sardinia for Vermentino. In Sicily also, at the moment, the native varieties and not only, are in a situation of non stress, and compared to the period we have all the conditions and all the parameters to think even there to make a good harvest. At the moment, in short, there is great optimism”.
According to Donato Lanati, again, “there are many different situations. In Tuscany, for example, drought and heat, and I hope great wines will be born if the heat will not stress the plants too much, and that the grapes remain small. Because to make great wines, you need small berries, and a low yield per strain, and therefore per hectare. It is difficult, however, to make a summary picture: in Alta Langa, Franciacorta and so on, all the sparkling wine bases and early varieties are being harvested slightly early, but the last month is determined, especially for great wines for aging. With these climate changes, we must be careful not to over-ripen grapes”.