The 2024 harvest concluded at the beginning of October, a timing that has not occurred for some time at Drusian, a historic winery located in the heart of the Prosecco Hills in Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, a World Heritage Site. The climatic conditions observed in September will significantly influence the new vintage of sparkling wines produced from Glera grapes, which are expected to be of excellent quality.
“This harvest was particularly unique,” says Francesco Drusian, the third generation to lead the family winery since 1988.
“The period from April to mid-June was characterized by rain, which negatively affected the ripening of the grapes. At the beginning of July, temperatures soared, reaching up to 35 °C during the day and 20 °C at night, preventing the necessary thermal shock for the grape clusters. This climate made it challenging to maintain optimal acidity, but thanks to the rain and cool September nights, we were able to restore a good balance. To protect the quality of the grapes, we chose to harvest during appropriate time slots to avoid daytime rainfall as much as possible. As a result, the grapes harvested this year are generally sweeter than those from 2023 and exhibit a significantly higher aromatic profile.”
The hand-harvest of Glera grapes, conducted exclusively on the steep slopes, began in mid-September in the Conegliano area and then continued in all other vineyards, culminating in the prestigious Cartizze area of Valdobbiadene, where the harvest concluded in the first days of October.
The quantity of grapes from the winery’s 80 hectares of vineyards shows a decrease of about 15% compared to the previous year. However, it is estimated that the overall quality will be promising, yielding, once the sparkling process is complete, interesting, aromatic, and elegant wines.
Az. Agr. Drusian Francesco, Via Anche, 1 – 31049 Bigolino di Valdobbiadene (TV) – Italy