Franciacorta's Earliest Harvest on Record as Heat Reshapes Winemaking
Scorching temperatures have pushed Franciacorta's grape harvest to its earliest start ever, forcing winemakers to adopt nighttime picking to preserve quality.
In the hills of Franciacorta, Italy, the grape harvest has begun under floodlights. Workers are picking Pinot Nero clusters at 4 a.m., a full ten days ahead of last year's schedule, as weeks of temperatures near 38°C have accelerated ripening to record levels.
Berlucchi, the region's oldest producer of classic-method sparkling wine, started its harvest on August 2. The company had initially targeted August 10, but rapidly rising sugar levels in the grapes signaled that the fruit was ready sooner than expected. Within two days, crews were mobilized and presses prepared.
The early start is not an isolated event. Mild winter weather prompted earlier bud formation, while hailstorms reduced yields and hastened maturation. Across Italy, Sicily began its still-wine harvest in late July, and parts of Tuscany and most sparkling wine regions have also started picking.
For sparkling wine producers, timing is critical. Varieties like Chardonnay require a delicate balance of acidity and sugar. A delay of just a few days can render grapes unsuitable for the classic method, as sugar rises too quickly and acidity drops.
Midday heat has made afternoon work impossible, and regional labor rules already halt work between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. To protect grape quality, Berlucchi now operates up to 24 presses a day, often running late into the night to process the early harvest.
"The grapes are perfectly healthy," said Ferdinando Dell'aquila, Berlucchi's technical director. "We just have to work as quickly as possible, harvest them and preserve their acidity."
Berlucchi produces about 4 million bottles annually, roughly 20% of Franciacorta's total output. Most is sold domestically, with exports to Germany, Switzerland, the U.S., and Japan.
Industry experts say the trend toward earlier harvests is likely to continue. "Climate change and African weather systems settling over Europe are bringing extraordinary temperatures and forcing early picking, not only in Italy, but also in France and Germany," said Paolo Castelletti, secretary general of the Italian Wine Union.
Winemakers acknowledge that adapting to this new reality requires vigilance. Monitoring fields earlier and reorganizing work schedules have become essential to maintaining quality in a warming climate.