The numbers of the harvest in 2017
A few days before the Feast of San Martino, when Italians are used to say that “every must is wine”, the numbers of this vintage 2017 began to circulate on the web. Apparently, the harvest was poorer than the post-war period and one of the most anticipated in chronological order.
In fact, the extremely hot and dry summer forced companies to anticipate the harvesting of their grapes almost everywhere. The record was in Sicily, where Settesoli started the collection of Menfi Pinot Noir even at the end of July, exactly 31.
Almost everywhere the expectations of winemakers were satisfied. Everywhere there were grapes really rich in sugar. This is the raw material that guarantees wines with an alcohol content.
This has not happened anywhere, meaning that only the grapes prepared for early harvesting have met expectations in this sense. Others have guaranteed the right sugar content only with a more limited production, with very small berries and a little juice.
The heat preserved the grapes from the onset of phytopathologies and other problems. Almost everywhere, therefore, the raw material was healthy and prepared to guarantee excellent musts.
Only the South, specifically Campania, Puglia and Sicily have managed to increase annual production compared to 2016, which was also a poor year. In the North the decline has been felt very markedly.
Italy and other countries
Statistics according to Sky report that Italy will keep the command of European production with 40 million hectoliters of wine, followed by France with 37 million hectoliters and Spain to 36.
Only Portugal grew, with an increase in production by 10%, despite of a general decline of 26% of European production and 8% worldwide.
The United States is also hurt, in which the collapse was also due to the serious fires that hit the Napa Valley until October, while the year of Australia was significantly better.
The increase in per capita consumption is also positive, even if Italy transfers the scepter to France, with only 33 liters of wine consumed each year against 45 in France.
Now, with the must in vats and barrels, the maturation is expected.
This will satisfy the palates starting from the first sales in 2018. We’ll go up to those wines evolved in barriques for many years, which will instead be poured into our glasses only among a few year.
