Franciacorta officially began its harvest on 12 August 2024, following in the footsteps of Puglia, Emilia-Romagna, and Sicily (which was the first to start grape picking). Silvano Brescianini, President of the Franciacorta Consortium, spoke optimistically about this year's crop, predicting an excellent wine production. "We are excited to announce the start of the harvest. The weather conditions this year have been challenging, but the winemakers have handled them with great expertise, and we are confident that the quality of the grapes will be noteworthy."
The 2024 growing season
The 2024 vintage unfolded in a climate that proved overall favourable. The viticultural season began with an unusual thermal pattern in the early months of the year. January saw average temperatures, followed by a period of over two months with temperatures higher than in previous years. This condition favoured vine growth, advancing bud break by about a week compared to the last 25 years. The mid-April frosts did not cause significant damage.
Both May and June were marked by average temperatures (both highs and lows). The drop in temperature slowed down the phenological advancement. The April-June quarter recorded nearly 650 mm of rainfall, making it the wettest period since 1997, followed by 2023 with 482 mm. Notably, May saw 14 days of rain, compared to 20 the previous year, both exceeding the historical average of 10 days.
April, May, and June were the most challenging months for Franciacorta's winemakers, who had to protect the vines from fungal diseases, particularly downy mildew, which thrives in frequent rain and mild temperatures. Although there were localized damages, the overall health of the vines remained under control. July brought a hot and dry period with temperatures over 30°C and almost no rainfall, conditions that favoured grape ripening. Currently, the production load is average, the vines' health is good, and the harvest is expected to continue until the end of August.
"The producers have worked with dedication and care, and the results will surely meet expectations. This harvest represents a crucial moment not only for our production but also for the enhancement of our land and traditions," said the President of the Franciacorta Consortium.
Looking to the Future through research
The 2024 harvest in Franciacorta will also benefit from the support of the new Microvinification Laboratory, created in collaboration with Accademia Symposium in Rodengo Saiano. "The establishment of the microvinification laboratory, supporting the intensive R&D activities of the Franciacorta Consortium, represents a great opportunity to directly and in real-time verify the different research paths we are pursuing to adapt Franciacorta's viticultural model to the pressures exerted by climate change. Additionally, it is a great tool for sharing and disseminating new knowledge and will be fundamental in creating a technical wine library (of experimental Franciacorta wines), which will be extremely useful in verifying the effectiveness of the results obtained over time," says Mario Falcetti, Coordinator of the Research and Development working group of the Franciacorta Consortium.
Through this new project, with the scientific support of UniMi (University of Milan) and FEM (Edmund Mach Foundation), a series of microvinifications will be carried out to study, through the wines, strategies to respond to climate change.
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