With the start of the Chardonnay harvest in Franciacorta near Brescia on the 8th of August, Italy officially began its 2012 harvest season earlier this year.
July's drought hit vineyards exactly when wine grapes experience their most important growing phase and the current heat wave poses a further threat to the amount of juice in Italy's grapes. This year's harvest began a full 30 days earlier than the harvest 30 years ago.
The Italian Confederation of Farmers projects a 10 per cent overall decrease in Italian wine production this year due to the low harvest.
The areas most heavily affected by this July's drought will bear the brunt of the losses. Output is projected to be down 15 to 20 per cent in Puglia, 10 per cent in the Veneto and Tuscany, and 5 to 10 per cent in Emilia Romagna.
While the mid-August wave had many farmers harvesting grapes between 7.00 am and noon to keep the heat from affecting the grape's taste, the heat in Sicily forces workers to harvest in the evening, but has a beneficial effect on the grapes.
The good news is that, despite the lower output, experts expect 2012 to be an excellent year for Italian wine in terms of quality. The rising temperatures have caused Italian wine overall to become sweeter, less acidic and higher in alcohol.
