HARVEST 2020 IN VENETO THE ADJECTIVES ARE WASTE

In Veneto, the 2020 harvest promises to be exceptional. To tell the truth, the adjectives collected among the technicians of the cellars of the various production areas of the region go even further: there are those who speak of a great vintage , some of an extraordinary or sensational harvest, some even of the best of the last twenty years. The fact is that today, crossing the fingers, there are all the prerogatives to meet a harvest that could really be remembered in the annals. But what conditions led to such a favorable pre-harvest picture? In a nutshell, it can be said that the budding phase of the vine was accompanied by mild temperatures, flowering for a long time stable and the development of the fruit with the right rains. All this combined with long sunny days and favorable temperature variations between day and night, apart from the last two / three excessively sultry days (but at the weekend a disturbance is announced that should lower the temperature). Consequently, the sanitary state of the Veneto vineyard is also good and under control. In short, the 2020 harvest seems to have been served on a silver cup, but to find out more we will have to wait for the "historic" (46th edition) focus on harvest forecasts, an event promoted by Veneto Agricoltura, Regione, Avepa, Arpav and CREA-VE scheduled for Thursday 6 August (10:00) on the ZOOM platform, due to the restrictions for Covid-19 (registration by 5 August on: https://previsioni2020.eventbrite.it ). On the occasion, thanks to the intervention of various experts, the point will be made on the next harvest in the Triveneto, Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Puglia, Sicily, as well as in France and Spain . More in detail, the very first qualitative and quantitative production estimates will be presented in the various areas of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentin-Alto Adige .

Returning to the Veneto vineyard, it should be remembered that the announced early harvest was slightly reduced by 5/7 days: the early grapes Pinot Nero, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay for sparkling wine base could therefore be harvested starting from August 20, then gradually all the others will reach the finish line. Let's see in a nutshell what the vineyard looks like today in the main production areas of Veneto.

In the Eastern Veneto the situation is good and under control by the operators, an aspect that also applies to all the other production areas in the Veneto. If we want to look at the nit, it must be said that in recent weeks the downy mildew , present in the young hair (female), has kept the technicians in the vineyard under pressure. In the past 10 days, in particular, there have also been symptoms of peronospora larvata (“ negron ” in dialect), but at the moment there are not too many worries. The same goes for powdery mildew , which is dealt with with great professionalism by the technicians. Some more attention, however, must be paid to the black rot , the black rot of the vine, which is manifesting itself more and more frequently in recent years, as well as the sore of the bait always lurking when the years get wet. Having said that, the good fertility and a more than satisfactory development of the bunches already allow us to affirm that in Eastern Veneto production will reach the quantities envisaged by the various regulations this year. It is evident that everything will now depend on how things go from here on out: water stress, burns from excessive heat, etc. they can disturb a picture that is today optimal.

The situation of the vineyards within the DO Prosecco production area is confirmed in line with the forecasts of mid-June, with production loads consistent with the yields envisaged by the disciplinary, ranging between 165 and 180 quintals per hectare. If the weather-climatic conditions remain favorable until the grapes ripen (the harvest for the Glera variety is expected from the first week of September) excellent parameters will also be achieved from a qualitative point of view, with particular regard to acidity and profile aromatic of the grapes.

On the Euganean Hills , where water shortages have always been one of the main problems for the vineyard, it seems that this year the situation, from this point of view, is more than satisfactory. In fact, at crucial moments, rainfall arrived abundantly, enriching the water reserves; the various diseases of the vine have been kept under control, so the grapes are healthy and the production is optimal in terms of quality and quantity.

In the Vicenza area, Colli Berici, Gambellara , however, the advance is confirmed in about 7/10 days. The first grapes to cross the finish line will be the Pinot, for which a 10% decrease is expected compared to last year: for this production the harvest will begin immediately after mid-August. For white berried grapes it will be necessary to wait until the end of August; for the Garganega on 15/20 September, as well as for the red Tai and the Carmenere; for Cabernet and Merlot it will start in October. All the reds are however announced in great shape (they did not suffer from water stress) and on quantities that are positioned on those of 2019. Therefore, a great vintage is expected in the Vicenza area too.

In the Veronese area, the vineyard is in excellent health and with good vegetation. As for the Corvina grape (Valpolicella), the technicians let it be known that the high temperatures recorded in the last few days have slowed down the ripening phase a bit, so that 2020 will not be an early harvest; the quantity will be good. In the Soave area, Garganega is also responding very well and there is great expectation from producers. The quantity of grapes is good and it will therefore be necessary to focus on the selection of the vineyards and bunches. The quality also promises to be more than satisfactory and there are no particular health problems, but it will be the next few days and weeks that will determine the final outcome. The wineries have scheduled the opening to welcome the early grapes between 16 and 20 August, not everywhere in this area the Garganega shows up early. As for the harvest, it will be essential to grasp the exact moment of balance between the acidity and the sugar content of the fruit.