HOT: FRANCO MORANDO (MONTALBERA VINEYARD), 'EARLY HARVEST OF RED GRAPES, ALREADY THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST. IT'S UNBEATABLE BEFORE'

Vineyard management and the precise timing of the harvest will be crucial. Due to this scorching heat, which hasn't been seen since perhaps 2003, our winemakers and agronomists are evaluating starting the red grape harvest as early as next week, the first of August. "This has never happened before," says Franco Morando, General Manager of Montalbera, a Piedmontese winery that extends between the Monferrato and Langa regions . "This requires a significant and very strict, almost didactic, interpretation, even from an agronomic standpoint," continues Franco Morando. "Any light rain, after such an intense heatwave, could reactivate the vine's physiological activity and further accelerate grape ripening. Heat doesn't necessarily mean a loss of quality, but it does require greater attention and more careful management on the part of the producer, who must avoid bringing overly ripe grapes or those compromised by prolonged exposure to high temperatures into the cellar." The producer's skill will be to carefully evaluate the specific time and day of harvest, accurately interpreting the evolution of ripening. I think it will be a great vintage regardless," concludes Franco Morando.