Forecasts for 2023: one of the most difficult harvests is expected

  The longest harvest in Italy, on average over one hundred days, this year will start ten days later than the 2022 vintage. Despite the succession of extreme climatic conditions - from torrential rains in May and June to extreme heat in July - fires and the presence of fungal attacks, including downy mildew on the vine, the condition and quality of the grapes in Sicily does not appear to be compromised. Thanks to the return of cooler temperatures, the initial drop, estimated at up to 40% in some areas, could be less. It begins in Western Sicily, with the collection of the spumante base, and then continues with the international varieties such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, followed by the native vines. The producers of Etna will close this long Sicilian harvest at the end of October. "What makes the Sicilian grape harvest unique - comments Mariangela Cambria , president of Assovini Sicilia - is the variety of Sicilian areas. Each territory has unique climatic conditions and soils that translate into the extraordinary diversity and variety of Sicilian wine production. About one week from the start of the harvest it is still difficult and premature to make accurate estimates on production.Surely Sicily demonstrates that it knows how to govern the effect of climate change, thanks to increasingly sustainable agriculture and agronomic techniques, by focusing on quality and not quantity" , concludes Mariangela Cambria . Seasonal trend for the 2023 vintage and western Sicily harvest forecasts

" To date, the quality of the grapes is excellent, having had no problems with powdery mildew or botrytis; due to the great heat we have lost about 40% of the grapes, even if, having returned to cooler temperatures, the unburnt grapes are starting to regain strength so the overall drop could be lower. We are satisfied with how we managed the downy mildew problem, having done it in advance thanks to the help of weather forecasts that have the ability to electronically indicate the probability of the disease, avoiding irreparable damage", comments Filippo Buttafuoco , viticultural technician of Cantine Settesoli . In the Regaleali wine-growing area, in the province of Palermo, the months of March and April, which tend to be dry and cold, caused a general delay in budding of about 10 days. "This delay helped make the following very rainy but generally cold period more manageable, and made the pressure of vine diseases, such as downy mildew, less invasive - commented Lorenza Scianna and Laura Orsi, oenologists of Tasca d' Almerita . Currently the the vineyards have adequate foliage, are healthy and there is a decrease in average temperatures which suggests a good ripening of the grapes starting from the veraison of Pinot noir and Chardonnay which is taking place in these days - continue Lorenza Scianna and Laura Orsi . quantity, even the Sallier estate, in Camporeale, should respect the company's historical averages but it is still early to claim victory.The good vegetative cover protects the grapes from possible burns and helps to preserve aromas and freshness.Finally, in Mozia, the he island is little influenced by the climatic conditions of the mainland, the sapling should ripen immediately after August 15th with quantities that fall within the historical averages of Mozia and with healthy and crunchy grapes", conclude Lorenza Scianna and Laura Orsi.

Etna and North East

There are still a few months left for the arrival of the harvest on Etna where low temperatures and continuous rains were recorded until the end of June, such as to make interventions in the vineyard difficult, followed by the extreme heat of the end of July with reduced temperature variations between day and night and warm wind. "Thanks to the highly draining volcanic sands, the high altitudes and the constant ventilation, there was no presence of downy mildew and, despite the high temperature peaks, the plants keep well", comments Maria Carella, Cantine Nicosia enologist, on the side Southeast of Trecastagni, Zafferana and Santa Venerina. On the northern slope of Etna, Patricia Toth , Planeta 's oenologist, confirms that " downy mildew is under control thanks to the arrival of heat and high temperatures. In the high areas, around 900 metres, we have stupendous grapes thanks to the different ventilation of these areas and also to the structure of the soils.At Capo Milazzo, we are in the North-East of the Island, the winds which can often become a challenge this year have found peace, fruit set and also insect control at the Today's date is progressing well," concludes Patricia Toth . Sud-Est " The 2023 harvest will be one of the most difficult in recent times. This year, apart from the torrid heat of these days, we had torrential rains and strong gusts of wind in the months of May and June, important for the flowering of our grapes , climatic conditions that have brought to its knees the hard work that I and my team carry out every day - comments Arianna Occhipinti .The consistent arrival of downy mildew has caused considerable damage for about 30-35% of our future production; the treatments of sulfur and copper (the only treatments we do in the vineyard) in higher concentrations were not enough to contain the problem.We will certainly have a lower harvest than the 2022 harvest. possibly we will have less quantity but greater quality ”, concludes Occhipinti. "In Vittoria – comments Patricia Toth of Planeta – it is important to underline the position and the soil of the vineyards. We are on the slope with a pure sandy upper layer, overlooking the sea, above Marina di Acate, where precisely the sand and the movement of air have not given way to constant humidity. We expect good productions as with Nero d'Avola also with Frappato, keeping the vineyards under close observation to check for the presence of scale insects and leafhoppers . In Noto, as generally throughout the island, today we consider about a week or even 10 days of delay in the phenological phases, with healthy and truly promising grapes", concludes Patricia Toth .