READY-SET-GO: THE 2011 HARVEST HAS STARTED! THE CASTELLO BONOMI ESTATE (PALADIN) IN FRANCIACORTA CUT THE FIRST GRAPES FOR SPARKLING WINE AT THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST. VALENTI (UNIVERSITY OF MILAN) SAYS: THE NORTH IS EARLY, CENTRAL AND SOUTH IN THE NORM

Tomorrow, August 3, 2011, the grape harvest officially starts. The Bonomi Castle Estate in Franciacorta (owned by the Venetian family, Paladin) will be the first to cut grapes for sparkling wine, and the quality this year, keeping our fingers crossed, promises to be very good.

This is not the earliest harvest of all times, though: “in 2007, the same winery started harvesting on July 28th,” says Leonardo Valenti, Professor of Viticulture at the University of Milan. “More or less all of Northern Italy from Piedmont to Friuli, for certain varieties, is on average 10-15 days earlier than last year. Central and Southern Italy, instead, are in the norm”.

Info: www.tenutabonomi.it