Harvest yields: Confagricoltura Piemonte in agreement with the protection consortia to favor market equilibrium

" The good trend of marketing, especially abroad, and the consequent reduction of stocks, today slightly below the physiological level - declares Gianluca Demaria, president of the wine section of Confagricoltura Piemonte - suggested to the protection bodies a consistent increase in volume of product available to meet the needs of the market. We are confident that the consortia, which we contribute to manage with representatives expressed by the agricultural part - adds Gianluca Demaria - will be able to act with prudence on the possible release of the harvest reserve to continue to ensure a correct balance between production and consumption ".

The meteorological trend has so far accompanied the vegetative development of the vineyards in a favorable way. The hailstorms, although ominous for the areas affected by bad weather, did not compromise the overall quantity of the harvest. " The last part of the ivo production cycle - declares Ercole Zuccaro, director of Confagricoltura Piemonte , an organization that with 40 technicians working in the area is monitoring the evolution of the season in the vineyard - as always is the most important as regards the quality of the harvest. . Much will depend on how the next few weeks develop: at the moment we expect a not abundant harvest, but with a very interesting quality ".

The president of Confagricoltura Piemonte Enrico Allasia underlines the importance of comparison within the supply chain. " Piedmont - explains Enrico Allasia - has firmly chosen to focus on quality, protecting almost all regional production with designations of origin. We must strengthen the cohesion between producers and industrial processors: for this reason we have asked the Region to monitor the 'trend of the situation, promoting meeting opportunities to define together the development strategies of the sector ".

The harvest yields proposed by the protection consortia

For the Asti and Moscato d'Asti DOCGs, the consortium's proposal is to set the yield as established by the production disciplinary, equal to 100 quintals of grapes per hectare (last year it was 90 quintals): for the remaining types and sub-areas the proposed yields are those set by the production specification. For the Asti and Moscato d'Asti types, the proposal also provides for a harvest reserve of 15 quintals of grapes per hectare. Any "exceeds", or the quantities produced within the limit of 20% over the reference quantity set by the production disciplinary, may be used to obtain partially fermented must from aromatic Moscato grapes (the wording is not intended as the final destination of grapes but exclusively as an intermediate product in the elaboration of aromatic sparkling wines with or without the use of the indication of the variety) and for any other destination permitted by law.

For the Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG sparkling wine, the proposed yield is 50 quintals of grapes per hectare (last year it was 36 quintals), with a harvest reserve of 10 quintals; for the satin cap type 50 quintals and 30 quintals of harvest reserve. Any excesses may be used for the production of grape juice, must or mute must or partially fermented red or white must; must or mute must or partially fermented aromatic red or white must, wine and spirits. In order to protect the production and maintain a market balance, the consortium proposed not to allow the reclassification of the must suitable for producing Brachetto d'Acqui type, smooth cork in must suitable for producing Brachetto d'Acqui type sparkling wine.

For the Piemonte Brachetto doc, a yield of 65 quintals of grapes per hectare has been proposed (43 in 2020), with a harvest reserve of 25 quintals: any excesses may be destined for the production of grape juice, must or mute must or partially fermented red or white must; must or mute must or partially fermented aromatic red or white must, wine and spirits.