Due to high daily temperatures and a prolonged period without rainfall, the grape harvest in the vineyards of Herzegovina will start fifteen to twenty days earlier than in previous years.
The grapes are of exceptional quality, but vineyard owners note that due to the dry period, they cannot expect the planned quantities from parcels that were not irrigated.
The harvest of early wine grape varieties has already begun, and if favorable conditions persist, the harvest of other varieties is expected to start by September 1st.
Stevo Popovac states that this year has been very favorable, but it’s essential to wait until the grapes are fully ripe.
- The weather was good, which benefited the grapes. We’ve already worked on Tamjanika and Chardonnay, and soon, in about 10-15 days, Vranac will be ready as well – says winemaker Stevo Popovac from the Pridvorci vineyard in Trebinje.
The situation is similar in other vineyards. Some quantities of early grape varieties have already been processed.
- We’ve harvested some Tamjanika and completed the harvest. We hope to start harvesting a small amount of Chardonnay in two to three days, and in 10-15 days, we’ll begin with Vranac and Merlot – said Branko Anđelić, head of vineyard production at “Agrofin” d.o.o. Trebinje.
Ranko Petijević expects to harvest around forty tons of grapes from about three hectares of his own vineyard. He will need to purchase additional grapes from local vineyard owners. Preparations before the harvest are nearing completion. Since the beginning of August, vineyard owners have been removing excess green mass to allow the grape clusters to receive more sunlight.
- We’re trimming the tops now, removing leaves, but we must be careful not to expose the grapes too much to avoid sunburn – adds Ranko Petijević, a vineyard owner from the “Perović’s Bridge” winery in Trebinje.
Most of the expected quantities of traditional grape varieties have already been reserved by local wineries. Smaller quantities of red varieties will be available for sale to third parties at slightly higher prices than last year. However, a potential issue for large vineyard owners could be the lack of seasonal labor.
Source: RTRS
