ISMEA / UIV 2007 Italian Wine Production Forecast
Third of Six Parts
Staff Writer – September 11, 2007
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 Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige.
In Veneto, where ISMEA and UIV expect a decrease of 5 - 10% compared to 2006, harvest started 15 or more days in advance.
Some problems due to lack of water have surfaced at the beginning of summer, but the later showers have brought some relief, thus the grapes may gain some weight. In some cases though, hail arrived along with the rain, such as in the Prosecco production zone and, more recently, in the Valpolicella area with particular violence.
The alcohol content is generally high, except for the Prosecco grapes, whose harvest started well in advance compared to other regional varieties. No relevant problems were reported with regards to parasites.
Trentino Alto Adige is among the few regions whose production is expected to be aligned with last year's.
In Trentino, where the ripening process showed an excellent progression, harvest started during the first week of August for the Chardonnay grapes used to make the Spumante version of the wine, that is, 20 days before the harvest of 2006.
August rainfalls forced vintners to speed up the harvest, for fear that the ripe grapes could develop acid rot or botrytis.
In mid-August the harvest of Chardonnay grapes for dry wine and Pinot Grigio started. The Müller Thurgau harvest started the first week of September, along with the early red varieties, such as Merlot and the native Teroldego.
Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, which ripen later, will follow and the quality is expected to be high, provided that the weather doesn't take a turn for the worse.
In general, the quality of the Trentino wines is expected to range from very good to decidedly superior.
In Alto Adige as well the harvest started about 20 days earlier than usual. The grape ripening has developed well, despite some insurgencies of peronospora and sparse hail storms. The quantity here could actually be a little higher than in 2006, and with higher alcohol content. Quality is expected to be excellent.
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