Italy

Fans of the Giro d’Italia road cycling race witnessed the defining feature of the 2023 growing season play out before their eyes: day after day of heavy rain in May as the riders toiled across the south and centre of Italy. This persistent high humidity was ideal for the rapid spread of downy mildew. How regions and individual vineyards coped with this disease determined the size of crop they harvested. Roughly speaking, the centre and south of Italy struggled: Abruzzo and Sicilia saw their potential crops halved, whilst Puglia and Toscana lost about a third of their harvests. In the north the mildew threat was better managed and losses were a lot smaller. The Veneto, crucial for the production of Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, saw yields down by only around 10%. There were some fearsome temperatures in the summer, but these hot, dry periods were interrupted by cool, damp interludes. Given what had happened before, it is a relief to report that the harvest passed off without any major incidents. Despite the early start to the growing season, the picking began a few days later than in 2022. Many producers are surprisingly upbeat about the quality of their grapes. Whilst the weather compromised yields, what was left came through in reasonably good shape. However, there will be heterogeneity, particularly in DOC areas such as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. After a couple of downward revisions the national crop is estimated to be 37-39 million hectolitres. Assuming that this number is about right it would represent a reduction in production of around 25% against 2022 and the five year average.