Podcast 010 | A "weather update" shortly before the harvest with Piero Lanza from the Poggerino winery

Piero Lanza

Poggerino | Radda in Chianti

Today I'm visiting Piero Lanza again at his Poggiarino winery in Radda in Chianti. During my last visit for episode number 8, we decided to meet again at the end of the summer to talk about the weather. After all, the weather plays a crucial role in wine production, especially in the weeks leading up to the harvest. Piero will now tell us more about it.

A summer full of challenges

Piero explains that there has been almost no rain since our last meeting. Only one Saturday morning brought four hours of light rain, which was good for the vines. The biggest challenge was an unusually hot period from August 11 to 15, with temperatures reaching 38°C. Piero was worried about the grapes, but fortunately the damage was minimal as the Radda area is cooler than others.

Some of the harvest has already begun. Piero reports that they harvested the grapes for his rosé sparkling wine made from Sangiovese at the end of August. For sparkling wine, it is important to vinify grapes with high acidity and low sugar to ensure a low alcohol content. A small vineyard of Merlot has also been harvested, but the main harvest is still to come. Piero emphasizes that the weather over the next few days will be crucial in determining the optimal harvest time. They are hoping for some rain to improve the balance between the fleshy part and the juice of the berries.

The advantages of organic farming

Piero has been running the Poggerino vineyard organically for years and is convinced that this helps the vines to better withstand extreme climatic conditions. The roots penetrate deeper into the soil and the soil can store rainwater better. This is particularly important as it has hardly rained in the last three months. Younger vines have more problems as their roots do not reach as deep as those of older vines.

In summary, we are hoping for some rain in the next few days and cool weather during the harvest to ensure a good vintage. Piero remains optimistic and hopes that the grapes will reach the cellar in excellent quality.

I will be back again this year to record another podcast with Piero and give an overview of the harvest situation. Maybe we'll also talk about the olive oil harvest, another exciting topic.

Further links

Store: https://www.ninainchianti.com/poggerino/
Blog: https://www.ninainchianti.com/hashtag/
The link for your question: https://www.ninainchianti.com/deine-frage-an-nina-in-chianti
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