On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, a press conference on the 2022 grape harvest forecast was held at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry in Rome, organized by Assoenologi, UIV and Ismea.
Courtesy of UIV, Assoenology e Ismea
The meeting, moderated by Paolo Castelletti, secretary general of UIV, featured three main reports: a presentation on grape harvest forecasts in Italy by Fabio del Bravo, director of Rural Development Services at Ismea; a report on the season’s climatic trends by Paolo Brogioni, director of Assoenologi; and finally, a presentation on grape harvest forecasts in Europe by Ignacio Sanchez Recarte, secretary general of CEEV.
PRESENTATION OF GRAPE HARVEST FORECASTS IN ITALY
For 2022, Assoenologi, ISMEA and UIV estimate a production of 50,270 thousand hectoliters, unchanged from last year, but confirming us among the top wine producers in the world. Certainly, the August rains have favored this situation, which appeared more tragic in July. However, in the coming weeks it will be crucial to hope for favorable weather for the ripening of the grapes, capable of enforcing the aforementioned forecasts. At the regional level, wine production has decreased in some regions, such as Lombardy (-20%), Piedmont (-9%) and Sicily (-5%); in others, production has remained stable (Abruzzo, Molise, Calabria, Friuli Venezia Giulia); in still others, production has increased, such as Valle d’Aosta (+10%), Trentino Alto Adige (+10%), Tuscany (+12%), and Sardinia (+15%).
CLIMATE TREND PRESENTATION
The main problem has been the same for almost a year: drought. Last winter, in fact, it affected almost all Italian regions (except the islands), causing severe water stress in the spring: no area of Italy had less than 10 days of water stress in a month (in the period between March 1 and August 20).
This led to a hot and humid summer in 2022: suffice it to say that average temperatures in northern and central Italy rose by half a degree.
Fortunately, the August rains restored the situation, so the vines held out and the vintage will almost certainly be characterized by excellent quality.
PRESENTATION OF HARVEST FORECASTS IN EUROPE
More or less all countries have suffered from heat and drought.
Spain, for example, reports a -12 percent drop in production and, as a result, a lower stock of wine than in previous years. In Germany, the figure is -2%, and we are talking about early harvests and young plants, which are naturally sensitive to water shortages. In Portugal, the decline is -9%, but it should be noted that 2021 production was above average. France has a positive trend, with a 3.5% increase over the five-year average. All countries in the southern hemisphere have experienced a decline in production due to the same factors: drought and heat.
After the presentations, speeches were followed by Sen. Stefano Patuanelli, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies; Sen. Gian Marco Centinaio, Undersecretary of State for Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies and Minister of Equal Opportunities Elena Bonetti; and Paolo Cuccia, President of Gambero Rosso.
Lamberto Frescobaldi, President of UIV, and Riccardo Cotarella, President of Assoenologi, gave the final greetings.
essedielle would like to thank Assoenologi, UIV and Ismea for hosting this annual meeting, which, as always, is essential to understand what is happening in our sector.
