Yesterday another AP story was forwarded to me, this time by Alfonso Cevola "the Italian Wine Guy." (The Italian Wine Guy? Isn't that a little presumptuous, AC?)
Anyway. The story was an overview of the grape harvest in Italy. This year was definitely one of role reversals. Normally hot and sunny Sicily saw massive amounts of rain and humidity which spread rot and reduced the harvest by 30%. Expect quality to suffer.
In the northeast, especially Veneto, the harvest took place earlier than ever before thanks to a torrid growing season with comparatively little rain. (Not that those who attended Vinitaly would believe that. Verona was soggy under the typical skies of "Vinitaly weather.") Veneto had enjoyed an extremely mild winter too; cherries were on the trees before the end of April. One Soave producer was quoted as saying that 20-30 years ago the grape harvest was normally in late October-early November. Now it's from the middle of September to early October. Aldo Lorenzoni, president of the Soave producers' consortium, predicts that region's wines will have "a Southern profile," less floral and fruitier. So if you want a typically Sicilian wine next year, go north.
What about the areas in between?
I've heard from one of my correspondents, Francesco Iappelli, whose winery Della Valle Jappellj, is located in Casertavecchia, not too far from Naples. Unlike Sicily, his area had too little moisture, and while grapes typical of the Casertano fared well (Casavecchia, Troiana, Pallagrello), Falanghina suffered from the drought in many zones. He said that variety did better in Benevento, which was more humid. Old vines fared quite well, as you'd expect, since their deep roots conducted more water to the plants. The harvest won't be completed there for a couple of weeks, so there could be some last-minute revisions to this assessment. Right now it appears quantities will be somewhat lower than usual.
I'm still waiting to hear from Carmela Capozzo in Puglia. As of June the predictions for the harvest were not favorable, since the province of Bari had had high levels of rainfall and persistent humidity.
it's not The Italian Wine Guy
it's: Italian Wine Guy®
just bidness, amigo
Posted by: Alfonso | September 29, 2007 at 01:14 PM
Ah, thanks for the clarification. The diavolo is in the details. Mea culpa.
Anyway, I was just jiving.
Posted by: Terry Hughes | September 29, 2007 at 01:16 PM
that's the kinda stuff that'll get your legs broke in certain neighborhoods...be careful amigo ;)
Posted by: Alfonso | September 29, 2007 at 01:34 PM
hi tyler, hy alfonso (btw thanks for the add in the blogroll) and for news from Maremma, check out
http://poggioargentiera.simplicissimus.it/2007/09/vendemmia-i-vigneti-del-capatosta.html
Posted by: andrea gori | September 29, 2007 at 05:07 PM
Grazie, AG. Non e' un Grande Comunicatore Gianpaolo?
Posted by: Terry Hughes | September 29, 2007 at 08:27 PM
Hi Terry, here you can find the grape harvest from another point of view :
http://www.vinix.it/myDocDetail.php?ID=258
More than 20 photo albums to tell the story in a new way.
Bye, Fil.
Posted by: Filippo Ronco | September 30, 2007 at 07:00 PM