Forecasts of the 2023 harvest for the Consortium for the Protection of DOC Cirò and Melissa wines

The 2023 harvest for the Consorzio Di Tutela Vini DOC Cirò e Melissa , at an initial overall balance, promises to be good as regards the quality of the grapes, with slightly decreasing volumes. After the losses suffered due to downy mildew and the exceptional heat of the last few weeks of July, the emergency has subsided and the grapes should be able to reach optimal ripeness. “ The general situation has so far been very complicated ” declares Raffaele Librandi, President of the Consorzio di Tutela Vini Doc Cirò and Melissa “ the exceptional rains of May and June have caused the explosion of plant diseases, mainly downy mildew. The damage was significant in some vineyards, while in others the spread of the disease was better managed. The constant rains, however, made interventions in the vineyard difficult and the quantity of grapes was already compromised from this period of the year. In the second half of July we were concerned about the possibility of the spread of further diseases, such as grapevine oidium. The exceptional temperatures, however, have stopped the spread of these plant diseases. Luckily the heat was not such as to cause the plants to collapse, as they withstood the high temperatures quite well. From the end of July, temperatures returned to normal seasonal values. ” Currently, the grapes on the vine should finally be in the optimal conditions to complete the ripening process. Their quality is good, despite the quantities being lower than in past years: a decline which is in itself part of a trend of reduction in volumes, due to climate change which is also affecting the cirotano. The harvest will begin from the first week of August, with the international vines. The autochthonous varieties, on the other hand, will be harvested approximately in the first days of September. Among the autochthonous vines, the Gaglioppo demonstrates excellent resistance and adaptation to high temperatures, resulting in the vine with the most satisfactory yield.