Italian Winemakers Start 2026 Grape Harvest Early as Extreme Heat Speeds Ripening
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 11
Italian Winemakers Start 2026 Grape Harvest Early as Extreme Heat Speeds Ripening
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 11
Summary
Corte Franca winemakers have begun picking grapes earlier than expected in the 2026 harvest as unusually high temperatures reshape the season.
Extreme heat and low rainfall are accelerating ripening, forcing producers in northern Italy's Franciacorta area to move quickly to protect grape and wine quality.
The early harvest underscores how growers are adapting vineyard work to hotter, drier conditions that are increasingly disrupting traditional timing.
As harvests shift a full month earlier, will extreme heat eventually force centuries-old European vineyards to abandon their traditional grape varieties?
With workers harvesting before dawn to beat the heat, will climate change permanently alter the taste of Italy's iconic sparkling wines?