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Meroi (Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Colli Orientali del Friuli) | Mirko Degan, winemaker
1. Three adjectives
Early (never before had the harvest begun on August 18th), poor in both quantity and quality, dry: the lack of water combined with the heat led to significant losses.
2. The choice in the vineyard
No particular decisions were made this year: we are now accustomed to increasingly warmer years and we already partly know how to deal with them.
3. Investments in the next 5-10 years
Investment will be needed, above all, in water supply and canopy management techniques that promote shading, as well as in-depth research into rootstocks, planting density, and varieties best suited to warm climates. Given this year's performance, Ribolla is a variety worth focusing on.
The Ancient Oak (Veneto, Conegliano) | Claudio Francavilla, producer
1. Three adjectives
Early, hot, quick.
2. The choice in the vineyard
We installed hail nets on a small vineyard plot. Fortunately, we didn't need them this year, but we think it's a solution we should extend to other valuable plots, following the hail damage we've suffered in recent years.
3. Investments in the next 5-10 years
We have already begun investing several years ago in a mass selection project using old vines over 70 years old, to be able to manage failures in the future by diversifying the clones and strengthening the vineyard's genetics.
Musella (Veneto, Valpolicella) | Maddalena Pasqua of Bisceglie, producer
1. Three adjectives
Amazing, fast and clean.
2. The choice in the vineyard
We've kept the grass growing taller and increased the number of varieties.
3. Investments in the next 5-10 years
In the medium term, we will need to have the courage to uproot vines planted in unsuitable locations, which are increasingly struggling with climate change, and increase the area under organic cultivation.
Fattoria Sardi (Tuscany, Lucca) | Mina Samouti, producer
1. Three adjectives
In our area, we haven't had any particular water stress, but we've had days with very high daytime and nighttime temperatures. I'd say the climate is tropical, the quantity is balanced, and the quality is good.
2. The choice in the vineyard
During the summer, we kept the soil worked under the rows and between them, we pruned very little to ensure partial shading of the canopy and bunches, and we harvested several times in the same vineyard to balance technological (sugar/acidity) and oenological (aromatic/polyphenolic) ripeness.
3. Investments in the next 5-10 years
It will be essential to invest in water management, both at the farm and community level, in planting systems that maintain shaded areas on the canopy and bunches, and in a new ampelography, in terms of varieties and clones.
Podere Mastrilli (Tuscany, Impruneta) | Adriano Zago, producer
1. Three adjectives/words
Three words come to mind: Shostakovich, Alice, and good. Shostakovich, because he was able to break paradigms and find new forms of expression: this harvest taught us that success can be achieved by changing many established habits. Alice, because it was a marvelous harvest, full of unexpected surprises: despite an extremely hot year, thanks to abundant rain until May and June, the grapes arrived ripe and balanced. Finally, good, perhaps better than good, in terms of quantity, quality, harvest management, and fermentation evolution.
2. The choice in the vineyard
I would mention a set of practices we've been developing for several years, which in 2026 proved decisive: the management of canopies, to shade and protect the grapes, and turfgrass, which protects the soil from evaporation and excessive heat. The real challenge remains developing vineyards and management systems capable of rapidly adapting to extreme and very diverse conditions.
3. Investments in the next 5-10 years
Alongside the technical advances of recent years, the next step is to invest in the human factor: a ready, responsive, and motivated team is needed, capable of making decisions and working well together, with professional and structured people management. In an increasingly AI-driven future, the other major frontier for agricultural companies will be emotional intelligence and humanity.
Iviti Winery (Tuscany, Cortona) | Luca Viti, producer
1. Three adjectives
Asymmetric, early and with excellent grape health.
2. The choice in the vineyard
For several years now, we have been trying to maintain the vineyard's balance at every stage, from pruning to selecting the green grapes, which is why we haven't introduced any new choices for this harvest.
3. Investments in the next 5-10 years
Investment will need to be made in more careful soil management, intervening when necessary and using appropriate equipment. In the vineyards, the goal will be to better adapt vine training to seasonal changes, focusing on both dry and green pruning. Finally, it will be important to focus more on canopy management.
Avignonesi (Tuscany, Montepulciano) | Alessio Gorini, Chief Operating Officer
1. Three adjectives
Disturbing, contradictory, selective. Disturbing because it repeatedly forced us to question what seemed obvious. Contradictory because, in a year that started very early and was marked by weeks of intense heat, we ended up waiting for cooler weather in some parcels, leaving some Merlot on the vine until the second half of September. Selective because there was no one-size-fits-all decision for all vineyards: each parcel required its own interpretation.
2. The choice in the vineyard
We left some Merlot on the vine until September 22nd, a rather risky decision, especially given the more vigorous valley bottoms. The lesson for future years is not to "harvest later," but to no longer take anything for granted and to keep more possibilities open until the very end, continually evaluating the vineyard.
3. Investments in the next 5-10 years
Canopy architecture will need to be rethought, as heat stress, including sunburn and wilting, is increasingly a major cause of yield loss. The real work needs to be done in the vineyard, on the canopy, cluster exposure, and leaf surface. Rootstocks will also need to be studied, especially in new plantings, but with pragmatism: twenty-year-old vineyards can't be uprooted just because potentially more suitable materials exist today. The heritage of native varieties also plays a role, as they could offer freshness, acidity, and identity in a warmer climate.
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