Early indications point to good' Italian vintage

Published: 23 July, 2008

The state of Italian vineyards is giving rise to hopes for a good harvest in the autumn.

Fears of drought following the great heat of June have faded thanks to the well-dispersed rainfall and measured temperatures of early July. The long, rainy winter has also contributed to good ground water reserves, especially in the south. For the most part, the health of the vines is good.

Based on these indications, Corriere Vinicolo, Italy's wine journal, is predicting a vintage on the level of 2004 - a year of normal production, following the shortfalls of 2003 and 2002.

The only problem with that is the continued problem of overstocked wineries and falling prices, which have given rise to requests for millions of hectolitres of Italian wine to be distilled in order to create space for the new crop.

Leading winemakers, such as Attilio Pagli and Carlo Ferrini, agree about the potential quality of the eventual 2005 wines, but foresee something of a decline in production - not a bad thing in the circumstances.

Everything seems regular from Trentino down to Sicily,' commented Ferrini. I can't at the moment see any particular problem for the 2005s.'

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