Harvest Report 2022: Italy

• Total Italian harvest is estimated to come in at 50.27 million hectolitres, which would make the harvest 2.6% up on five-year averages, and roughly in line with last year’s harvest.

• 2022 was the driest year in Italy since 1800.

• Compared to the average of the past 30 years, precipitation fell by 46% during the Jan – July period.

• The worst was averted thanks to some rain in August, which refreshed the vines – where harvest wasn’t already underway.

• Irrigation where possible was important in maintaining yield, as were vineyard practices.

• Dry farming could be consigned to the history books in several of Italy's premier wine regions e.g. Barolo.

• It was an overall early harvest.

Bibi Graetz

Higher altitudes, higher quality 

In 2022 the growing conditions were characterised by higher than usual average temperatures and more drought. The vines did a perfect job resisting the heat and the drought, in fact, the harvest even started 10 days ahead of the usual pace, generally showing even higher quality and quantity of grapes. The lack of summer rains protected the grapes from moulds and diseases. Luckily, the rains of early September allowed to prolong the maturation of phenolic compounds. 

Bibi Graetz’s approach to having older vines on higher altitudes plays a crucial role at times like this. More experienced rooting systems allowed the vines to resist the heat and the drought, while higher altitudes ensured cooler temperatures and enough time for maturation. 

Conte Vistarino

Saved by the soils  

The 2022 vintage was characterised by a long phase of drought that began in the spring – the driest spring of the past 20 years. Despite this, there were no excessive problems of water stress thanks to the natural conformity of their soils (different types of clay, which retain water) and the strong nocturnal temperature range.  

The cultivation practices carried out in the vineyards from the early stages of vegetative growth were decisive to counteract water scarcity, while topping during summer was reduced to a minimum.

Conte Vistarino has seen an anticipation of the ripening of the grapes in some areas. The Pinot Noir harvest for the sparkling base began on 10 August to preserve the acidity and pH. “Even if the production is slightly lower than in 2021, the grapes were perfectly healthy and we expect an excellent level of quality," says Ottavia Vistarino, owner and winemaker.

Waiting until the end of August for the harvest of the reds, here too expectations are excellent thanks to the late showers in mid-August.  

Riesling did not suffer from drought, maintaining a good acidity / sugar balance and presenting grapes in excellent condition; perhaps one of the best vintages ever. “To summarise, Conte Vistarino experienced a complex vintage, less productive, but with a high quality of grapes.”

Suavia

Expecting rich and expressive wines

The 2022 harvest started across Trebbiano di Soave about a week earlier than in previous years, in the very first days of September, due to a particularly hot and dry summer that led to an early ripening of the grapes. And by Mid-September the region welcomed rain, finally interrupting the prolonged drought. 

The almost total absence of rain during the summer limited the spread of diseases, favouring the conditions for the grapes to grow in perfect health. But at the same time these dry conditions have also limited the growth of the bunches, which were drier and lighter compared to those of a less dry year.

The result is a drop in yields, which the Suavia team estimates at around 20% compared to the previous year. “Emergency irrigation, which is present in most of our vineyards, during the summer was of vital importance for the vines and to guarantee the quality of the grapes,” explained Alessandra Tessari. “In general, we can say that 2022 was a good harvest; even if the acidity levels were slightly below average, we still expect very rich and expressive wines.”

Vietti

Full-bodied wines with excellent long-term ageing potential

“The 2022 vintage will be remembered as one of the earliest and most surprising of all,” says Elena Vietti. With harvesting concluding in October, Vietti saw their vines, planted in Langhe, showing unrivalled capacity for adaptation.

“Unusual weather was seen right from early winter, when temperatures were mild and there was a shortage of rainfall.” Despite the lack of water reserves in the ground, the good weather in spring helped to offset the early plant growth and register bud break at a standard timing for all varieties.

Compared to previous years, high maximum temperatures marked the end of May lasted throughout June, and, along with the low amount of rainfall, they brought a new acceleration in the physiological development through to flowering.

“The month of July  saw  a  continuation  of the  trend  of  fine weather  and  high  temperatures: the vines adjusted on their own to the low availability of water, showing less vegetative growth and smaller  clusters,” reports Elena. “On the other hand, no fungal issues were seen, and vineyard management proved to be relatively straight forward.”

Thanks to the vineyard team’s expertise, the careful management of the foliage and canopy provided the necessary shade for the grapes, preventing any damage  associated with burning due to direct sun exposure.

Excellent quality was reported,  whereas the situation with regard  to  yields  was  very  mixed: while  production  was  on average without green harvesting, in some of the hotter, more southerly-facing areas it was lower.

So, what can we expect from Vietti’s vintage of 2022?

• The Dolcetto and Barbera grapes were well-balanced, with especially the latter maintaining freshness despite the summer heat. 

• Once again Nebbiolo shined through, adapting perfectly to the climate conditions. The berries were smaller than usual. Vietti is expecting a good extraction of tannins and aromatic substances, partly due to the excellent potential alcohol content, which helps  the  process  during 

According to Elena, 2022 will be marked by full-bodied wines with excellent long-term ageing potential, as long as attention is paid when reserving the acid profile during vinification.