HEALTHY, EXCELLENT GRAPES ONCE AGAIN
Palermo, September 23rd 2024 – An early start due to high temperatures that accelerated the ripening of the grapes and the usual longevity that characterizes Italy’s longest grape harvest.
Although the quantity of grapes is down compared to last year, this vintage promises to be historic in terms of quality, with peaks of excellence for Nero D’Avola: The 2024 Sicilian grape harvest is suffering from the effects of climate change, first and foremost the low rainfall in recent months with a significant impact on the vineyards; nevertheless, excellent quality is once again expected thanks to the absence of plant diseases – precisely in relation to the dry climate – after last year’s problems concerning downy mildew.
In many areas, the use of water from farm ponds and wells as well as farming techniques to limit the effects of the climate were also found to be essential.
“We have certainly experienced an exceptional year”: comments the agronomist Filippo Buttafuoco, “in Sicily, we usually receive an average of 500-600 mm of rain in a year, whereas from last autumn until today, we’ve only had 250 mm. In 2023, the vineyards were already trying to recover from a period of stress and great heat; unfortunately, even throughout this year, they did not have a chance to recover fully. So, the whole process of new fruit development occurred early, beginning with budding and flowering, which were two weeks early. Since the beginning of the harvest, yield has been very low, with significant losses. On the quality front, however, it is excellent, premium-quality with healthy, ripe grapes and wines are expected to be spectacular”.
“We have certainly experienced an exceptional year”: comments the agronomist Filippo Buttafuoco, “in Sicily, we usually receive an average of 500-600 mm of rain in a year, whereas from last autumn until today, we’ve only had 250 mm. In 2023, the vineyards were already trying to recover from a period of stress and great heat; unfortunately, even throughout this year, they did not have a chance to recover fully. So, the whole process of new fruit development occurred early, beginning with budding and flowering, which were two weeks early. Since the beginning of the harvest, yield has been very low, with significant losses. On the quality front, however, it is excellent, premium-quality with healthy, ripe grapes and wines are expected to be spectacular”.
“This year it was expected that there would not be lots of grapes,” adds Filippo Paladino, vice-president of the Sicily DOC Wines Consortium, ”Compared to the average, Grillo had a 40% drop, the reds were a little better starting with Nero D’Avola. Good yields instead for Zibibbo and international grape varieties. It will be difficult to sustain the costs”.
“Although it is still too early to draw up a definitive balance,’ concludes Alessio Planeta, a member of the Sicily DOC board , ’we can already see some significant trends. In a large part of Sicily, the conditions in the vineyards before the harvest had already hinted at a drop in grape production: This was due to a relatively warm, rainy winter and a cold, windy spring. The expected rains never arrived: This factor and a long summer caused us to anticipate the harvest by about 10 days. The harvest results vary greatly from East to West: While in the West, the drop is more pronounced, in the East and, above all, in the North, harvest levels are close to those of last year. However, the reduction in quantity has brought a considerable increase in quality. This year, we are getting surprising results, with peaks of excellence, especially for varieties such as Nero d’Avola, Grillo and Frappato. Profoundly Sicilian varieties that have interpreted a ‘southern’ vintage at its best”.
SICILY DOC WINES CONSORTIUM
The Sicily DOC Wines Consortium (www.siciliadoc.wine) came to life in 2012, to represent the wine of the Sicilian territory and promote the Sicilia DOC designation, with actions aimed at increasing the visibility of a symbolic brand of Made in Italy and to its protection and supervision in defense of consumers and producers. Around 7,000 winemakers and over 500 bottlers are promoters of the DOC Controlled Designation of Origin, a recognition that serves to represent them but also to enhance and safeguard the island’s wine production.