Vintage 2024

It is clear that the 2024 vintage cannot be described in just a few words, as Italy is a surprisingly diverse wine country! The harvest volume has developed positively after the challenging 2023 wine year. The Italian winegrowers' association Coldiretti reports an increase of 8% compared to the previous year - this corresponds to a harvest volume of around 42 million hectolitres - with this result, Italy regains the top position and is the largest wine producer in the world. After another difficult year in which winegrowers had to contend with challenging climatic conditions, this is the first positive result. The sometimes extreme weather conditions are increasingly teaching winegrowers how to deal with them and, above all, are producing promising wines in terms of quality.

As mentioned at the beginning, Italy cannot be considered a homogeneous wine country. Roughly speaking, the north had to deal with heavy rainfall and hail in spring and early summer, the south with severe drought, and central Italy benefited the most from both extremes this year. You know us, we don't like to dwell on the surface, so we invite you to study some profound and detailed opinions on the 2024 vintage.

The north is wet, the south is dry - a detailed look at the regions.

As always, the trade magazine MERUM has provided the most detailed look at the course of the year, the main points of which we do not want to withhold from you: "The Italian wine year 2024 presented a mixed picture. In contrast to the previous year, this time it was the north that struggled with fungal diseases due to a lot of rain, while healthy grapes were harvested in the south, but unfortunately far too few due to drought. The season was characterised by excessive rainfall in northern and central Italy, particularly in spring, which replenished water resources but also made plant protection more difficult due to the softened soil. In the south of Italy, on the other hand, sporadic thunderstorms in August were unable to compensate for the lack of water and only hindered winegrowers during the harvest. While some regions in the north saw a considerable drop in production, the regions of central Italy were able to recover significantly. The latter also applies to the mainland regions of the south, while the islands recorded a drop in harvest volumes due to the drought.

The north-west of Italy

With ten per cent growth, Piedmont is the only region in the north with a positive forecast in terms of volume. The 2024 wine year suffered from complex climatic conditions, with rather rainy and cool weather. At the same time, the cooler temperatures resulted in slightly lower alcohol levels than usual. In northern Piedmont, the season was characterised by an intense rainy phase from March to June, with frost damage in April and problems with fruit set in June as well as later ripening. In the southern part of Piedmont, the year began with early budding due to the mild winter temperatures, but a drop in temperature at the end of April affected flowering and limited fruit set, particularly in the Barolo, Asti and Alta Langa areas.

In Valle d'Aosta, the 2024 wine year started with heavy rainfall from the end of February to the beginning of July, accompanied by below-average temperatures. This slowed down the development of the vines from flowering to ripening. Rainfall and low temperatures during flowering led to a decline in production due to trickling and small berries as well as a high incidence of fungal diseases. The harvest began up to ten days later than in the previous year.

Lombardy has the worst harvest forecast of all Italian regions. Compared to 2023, the ripening of the grapes was delayed by one week. The cold and rainy weather until mid-July favoured the occurrence of peronospora (downy mildew), especially in the organic vineyards of Franciacorta and in the Croatina variety in Oltrepò Pavese. On the Lombardy shore of Lake Garda, however, despite the problems with rainfall and disease, production is expected to increase significantly compared to 2023, which will benefit Lugana in particular. Downy mildew has also struck less in Valtellina, where a harvest of good quality and quantity is expected overall.

Losses were rather low in Liguria, where uncertainty prevailed at the beginning due to a cold, rainy spring. The fact that, despite the subsequent heat and humidity, mainly healthy grapes were harvested is due to the typical microclimate of this region, which is located between the mountains and the sea. This ensured constant ventilation and rapid drying of the grapes.

The north-east of Italy

There were slight declines in the Alpine region of Trentino-Alto Adige, while harvest volumes in Veneto and Friuli stagnated at the previous year's level. Due to the warmer than average winter, the vines in Trentino and Alto Adige sprouted ten days earlier, exposing the vineyards at the bottom of the valley to the risk of late frosts. However, where the grapes hang higher above the ground thanks to pergola training, the damage was minimal. Fortunately, excessive damage was prevented. The moisture and risk of fungi were followed by heat and drought stress from July onwards. In some areas, this led to lower acidity levels in the grapes. At the same time, the grapes remained somewhat smaller and therefore more concentrated, which on the one hand reduced the harvest quantity, but on the other hand benefited the quality. For many winegrowers, the particular challenge in 2024 was that early and late-ripening grape varieties from different altitudes reached harvest maturity at virtually the same time, which made harvest planning and logistics more difficult. "The cool, rainy months in spring and early summer were particularly difficult for us," explains Andreas Kofler, President of the Alto Adige Wine Consortium, who refers in particular to the increased risk of vine and grape diseases due to the weather. "Once again, however, it has paid off that our winegrowing operations are manageable family businesses in terms of size, which means that a lot of time, a lot of work and the entire expertise of the winegrowers can be dedicated to each individual vine".

Winegrowers in Veneto were also put to the test by difficult climatic conditions. In Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, too little difference between day and night temperatures during the "tropical nights" gave rise to fears regarding the acidity of the grapes required for Prosecco. In September, however, it freshened up and occasionally rained, so that a correct balance of sugar and acidity was restored. To summarise, despite the initial challenges, the 2024 grape harvest in Veneto turned out positively, with generally good grape quality and a harvest volume in line with the historical average.

In Friuli, the vegetation period was initially characterised by cold temperatures, followed by heavy rainfall in May and June, which delayed the flowering phase. From July onwards, temperatures rose and there was less rainfall, which slowed down development and extended the ripening phase. In the Emilia-Romagna region, the warmest winter since 1961 led to early budding, which was also favoured by good soil moisture thanks to abundant rainfall in March and April. However, a sudden drop in temperature at the end of April slowed growth, which later led to anomalies in ripening: in several areas, Sangiovese began to change colour before Merlot and Sauvignon ripened before Chardonnay.

Central Italy with growth

The situation in the centre of the peninsula is more homogeneous overall and is characterised by double-digit growth compared to the low production in 2023. In Tuscany, budding began in April, the mild spring temperatures reduced the risk of frost and enabled the plants to grow quickly and set fruit well. It rained frequently in May and June. From the second week of July, the climate changed drastically, with a period of intense heat and drought, which initially accelerated the growth of the grapes. However, the grapes then ripened slowly throughout August. The Bolgheri growing region was hit by heavy flooding at the end of September, resulting in slight losses.

Umbria was also able to recover compared to the previous year, with above-average winter temperatures and early budding. In March and April, rainfall replenished the water reserves. In May, a sudden rise in temperature accompanied by rain ensured lush growth again. Fortunately, the season continued without drought stress until mid-July, even though some areas of Umbria were hit by hailstorms.

The spring of 2024 was initially very warm in the Marche region, but cold weather set in again in May. The amount of precipitation was below average in spring and early summer. July was particularly hot and dry, with only 15 millimetres of rain. Compared to the average of previous years, the grapes ripened up to ten days earlier, except for the late varieties such as Passerina and Montepulciano, where the April cold and then the summer drought stress led to delays. And in Lazio, mild spring weather coupled with well-filled water reserves in the soil favoured vine growth. The absence of significant disease problems also contributed to a return to an average harvest volume of previous years.

South on the road to recovery

After the catastrophic peronospora damage of the previous year, the grape harvest in Abruzzo returned to a more or less normal level. Above-average temperatures were recorded from the beginning of June to the end of July and there was no significant rainfall. Although the vines suffered from drought stress, they were spared fungal diseases. The situation in the neighbouring region of Molise is almost identical.

In Campania, the winter was mild and had little precipitation, with short bursts of cold air alternating with long periods of warm African air currents. The dry weather and high temperatures facilitated soil cultivation and plant protection, but the lack of water was a cause for concern. However, the health of the grapes was excellent and the rainfall in late summer further improved the yields and quality of the grapes. The considerable temperature fluctuations between day and night are the harbingers of potentially excellent quality.

The 2024 wine year in Basilicata was similar. A mild winter without the usual snowfall was followed by a drier and warmer than usual spring, which led to budbreak being brought forward by around ten days. It was not until September that lower temperatures and good day-night temperature differences ensured optimal conditions and allowed the Aglianico del Vulture to ripen perfectly.

Puglia has seen restrained growth in harvest volumes. The 2024 wine year was quite favourable in both Northern Puglia and Salento. In northern Puglia, the season started around ten days earlier thanks to the high temperatures and persistent drought. The harvest of healthy, white grapes began in the first ten days of August. In Salento, good weather favoured the budding and growth of the vines. The lack of early rainfall was favourable for plant health, and the almost summer-like temperatures in February, March and April accelerated growth. Temperature drops in May slowed development only slightly, and the flowering and growth of the grapes was regular.

Calabria also recorded a slight increase in harvest volumes. Like the rest of southern Italy, the region at the tip of the boot had to contend with a severe lack of water. After a mild winter and spring, high temperatures led to early budding and subsequent ripening of the grapes.

Water shortage on the southern islands

Sicily has recorded a decline in harvest volumes. As only half as much rain fell in winter as usual, the island started the year with low water reserves. In conjunction with the early high summer temperatures, the growth of the vines accelerated: Beginning with budding, each phase was around two weeks earlier than usual, flowering took place at the end of April and the colour change was also premature. The first white grapes for sparkling wine production were harvested as early as 18 July, the earliest start to the harvest ever in Italy. The quality of the grapes was not affected by disease, but the yield suffered greatly. A ray of hope was provided by Mount Etna, where rainfall at the end of August and beginning of September, volcanic ash with a fertilising effect and deep-rooted vines ensured good conditions, so that 60 percent more grapes are expected there than in the previous year.

In Sardinia, the 2024 vintage began with a mild winter with low rainfall and above-average temperatures. These conditions lasted until June and led to premature growth phases for the vines. There were no fungal diseases, a problem in the previous year. There were significant production losses in the south, especially in the areas of Campidano di Cagliari and Sulcis. Vermentino, Moscato and other varieties produced excellent quality, especially in areas such as Alghero, Gallura and Sulcis. In the vineyards of Nuoro and Ogliastra, the ultimately more favourable climate enabled good production, especially for Cannonau, whose quantity has decreased but whose quality is excellent."Merum

The new wines from the turbulent and interesting 2024 vintage are gradually arriving in our climate-controlled warehouse. Stay curious, because this section will steadily fill up over the coming weeks and months.

Have fun browsing and enjoy!SUPERIORE.DE