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Milan, 12 August (Adnkronos) – The grape harvest officially begins today, Monday 12 August, in the Franciacorta region, with expectations for the 2024 vintage emerging in a fairly good climate context. The 2024 wine season began with a positive thermal anomaly that characterized the first months of the year. From a rainfall point of view, the April-June quarter recorded almost 650 millimeters of rain, making it the wettest from 1997 to 2024, followed by 2023 with 482 millimeters. May saw 14 days of rain, compared to 20 the previous year, both above the historical average of 10 days.

Franciacorta winemakers faced significant challenges during April, May and June, protecting the vines from fungal diseases, particularly downy mildew, which thrives in conditions of frequent rain and mild temperatures. July marked a change, with temperatures frequently above 30 degrees and almost no rain, favoring the ripening of the grapes. Currently, the production load is average, the health status is good and the harvest is expected to continue until the end of August. “We are excited to announce the start of the harvest. This year’s weather conditions have been complex but the winemakers have been able to deal with them with great experience, and we are confident that the quality of the grapes will be interesting. The producers have worked with dedication and attention, and the results will certainly live up to expectations” says the president of the Franciacorta Consortium.

“The setting up of the microvinification laboratory, in support of the intense R&D activity of the Franciacorta Consortium, represents a great opportunity to verify, directly on site and in real time, the different lines of investigation that we are pursuing to adapt the Franciacorta viticultural model to the pressure exerted by climate change. Furthermore, it is a great tool for sharing and disseminating new knowledge and will constitute the fundamental element for the creation of a technical wine cellar (of experimental Franciacorta wines) very useful for verifying, over time, the effectiveness of the results acquired” adds Mario Falcetti, coordinator of the Research and Development working group of the Franciacorta Consortium.