A snapshot of Italy’s wine, from North to South: this is what Schenk Italia, a company based in Ora (Bolzano) among the Italian leaders in production with over 150 hectares of vineyards spread across the entire peninsula, can offer. Here are the forecasts, from Trentino-Alto Adige to Puglia, for the 2024 harvest from the voice of Daniele Simoni, CEO of the company that in 2023 exceeded 141 million euros in turnover and 57 million bottles sold, commenting on the current state of the vineyards in anticipation of the grape harvest:
“At the moment, the trend of the vineyards is optimal in almost all of our wine-producing lands. In the Montepulciano area, where we are present with the Lunadoro winery and produce the Tuscan Nobile of the same name, there was no shortage of rain in the months of May and June and today the hot July sun is shining, a climatic combination that has allowed the vineyard to grow lush. The same goes for Puglia, in the Lecce, Brindisi and Taranto areas, where we produce our Masso Antico wines: a wet spring but without disasters and today a warm and dry sun. An excellent climatic year also for the vineyards on the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, where our Bacio della Luna winery is located, and in those of the Cantine di Ora in Trentino-Alto Adige, which have benefited from the abundant spring rains and are now more lush than ever, with an ideal ripening of the grapes”.
“We therefore expect, if the weather conditions remain stable, a great year for our Italian wines”.
From Trentino-Alto Adige to Puglia, the forecasts for the 2024 grape harvest along the Peninsula from the voice of Schenk Italia
Thanks to the varied location of its production cellars, which range from the north of Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto, to the center of Tuscany and the south of Puglia, Schenk Italia is now able to analyze the state of the Italian vineyard and to predict, barring unforeseen events, the quantity and quality of its 2024 wines.
“The abundant rains that fell in the north between April and June risked compromising the optimal growth of the grapes, but thanks to the dedication, professionalism and experience of all our technical staff engaged in the field, we were able to contain the negative effects”, says Egidio Finazzer, agronomist manager of Schenk Italia. “The constant and careful monitoring of the situation and the timely adoption of the necessary measures to protect the plants, today allows us to state with satisfaction that our vineyards are in full health and ready to complete their production cycle”.
The positive picture is also reinforced by the improvement in weather conditions in recent weeks which, together with the favorable forecasts for the next few weeks, is significantly contributing to the success of Schenk Italia’s wine season.
“Thanks to more stable weather conditions, our vineyards today have a very good phytosanitary picture, that is, healthy plants with no signs of disease or infestation that could compromise the quality of the harvest. Furthermore, the quality of the bunches is excellent, with fruits showing a good degree of development and ripening. These are all very positive signs, not only for the current health of the vineyards but also for making a positive forecast for the production of high-quality wines,” continues the agronomist.
Looking to the near future, “we are confident that this summer will bring us stable and sunny weather, essential for the final ripening of the grapes,” explains Finazzer. “If these favorable conditions persist, we expect a very rich 2024 harvest, both in terms of yield and high quality of the grapes. The stability of the climate and the presence of sunny days allow the vines to complete the photosynthesis process efficiently, accumulating sugars and other beneficial compounds in the bunches. This translates into an improvement in both the flavor and structure of the wine produced”.
As for the timing of the harvest, according to Daniele Ress, head oenologist at Schenk Italia, “we will have an advance of about 10-15 days compared to last year’s harvest, which means that in the southern regions we will start already in these first 10 days of August for the white grapes, while in the North and in the Center the harvest of the white grapes and the sparkling wine bases will begin after mid-August. In our vineyards, the harvest will start in the first days of September in the Prosecco area, at the end of August for the Primitivo in Puglia and between 20 and 30 September for the Sangiovese in Lunadoro”.
