Blog: Vintage report 2023 - A good harvest after a difficult season | Rivera

The 2023 grape harvest was characterized by a rather variable and complex seasonal evolution, with weather conditions significantly affecting wine production in several regions of Italy, including Puglia.

The winter season had two sides: The weather was relatively mild with little precipitation until mid-February, after which it turned colder and rained heavily, but no snow fell.

Spring was particularly rainy, with average rainfall 60% above the average of the last 20 years and the highest in absolute terms in the last 35 years. While the abundant rainfall initially had positive effects, such as the accumulation of water reserves and excellent development of the vines' vegetation, the abundance of moisture turned into a harmful phenomenon with the rise in temperatures between the end of May and the beginning of June, as it created the conditions for the development of vine diseases, particularly Peronospera.

The infestation of this pathogen spread throughout Italy in mid-June, with particular virulence along the Adriatic coast. Our vineyards were also affected, and although we managed to intervene according to the usual protocols of sustainable agriculture, some late varieties such as Nero di Troia were particularly badly affected, resulting in a loss of up to 50% of production. Peronospera attacks and damages the leaves of the vines, which fortunately have time to regenerate once the infestation is over, but above all the flowers and young grapes, which are instead permanently lost, leading to a drastic drop in yields, although fortunately without negative consequences for the quality of the surviving grapes, which can continue to develop.

After what could be described as a 'perfect storm' had passed in the second half of June, the Apulian summer began with hot and dry weather. In July, temperatures rose steadily to over 35 °C, but this did not cause any problems for life thanks to the relief irrigation. Finally, from mid-August, temperatures dropped below 30°C thanks to a few days of mistral winds, allowing the early Chardonnay and Sauvignon varieties to ripen in peace. In fact, the harvest in Rivera for these varieties began on August 21, about a week later than average.

In September, temperatures remained relatively high, between 26°C and 30°C, with dry weather that lasted until the end of October, creating the conditions for optimal ripening of the black grapes.

The grape harvest in Rivera ended on October 14, with the last Nero di Troia grapes harvested about 10 days earlier than in 2022, partly due to the hot and dry weather and partly due to the low production per plant due to the damage caused by the pre-harvest in June.

In summary, we can say that we are very satisfied with the quality of the white, rosé and red wines of the 2023 vintage, as we managed to put right a season that had started very badly, although on the other hand we had to accept a sharp drop in red wine yields and a resulting drastic increase in unit costs. - Gerardo [TS01/24]