Italian wine harvest faces heat challenges and production shifts

The 2026 grape harvest in Italy has been significantly impacted by extreme heat and shifting weather patterns, leading to earlier harvests and changes in production volume.

In the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG region, Diego Tomasi, director of the local protection consortium, noted that the season was characterized by “super tropical nights.” While daytime temperatures were comparable to heatwaves in 2003, 2015, and 2022, the nighttime lows were exceptionally high, with nearly 50 nights exceeding 23 degrees Celsius. This trend, alongside irregular rainfall, signals a progressive shift toward a new climate pattern.

In Umbria, the combination of intense heat and prolonged drought has resulted in a production decrease of approximately 10%, with some areas seeing declines of up to 20%. While the scarcity of water has produced smaller grapes and lower juice yields, the quality of the fruit remains excellent. Due to the extreme temperatures, growers in Umbria were forced to begin harvesting at least ten days earlier than in previous years.