Diary of the harvest 2026

The harvest begins before the first bunch of grapes is picked. It begins in the days spent observing, measuring and waiting.

Today, in Lugana di Sirmione, the afternoon is hot and humid: the temperature is around 30 °C, with a forecast high of 32 °C and a night that will not drop much below 25 °C. The sun remains present, alternating with some passing clouds, while a weather alert has been issued across Lombardy for possible thunderstorms until the evening. Last night, a strong wind coming from the lake shook the vines, awakening them for the harvest, fortunately without hail and with little rain. The harvest therefore began as planned.

These are, however, conditions that require attention. Light and warmth accompany ripening, but they do not determine the moment of harvest on their own. Acidity, sugar levels, the condition of the skins and the response of each vineyard all matter. And so does the sky, which can change the programme within just a few hours.

The first gesture in this diary is therefore waiting: not a passive kind of waiting, but one made up of checks, comparisons and choices. Before the crates and the presses comes this silent work, necessary not to ask the vineyard to follow the calendar, but to understand its own timing. And so here we are, on this first day of harvesting: as is customary, we begin with the white grapes, today Chardonnay for the sparkling wine base.

In Lugana di Sirmione, the morning is already warm, with the sun breaking through the clouds and a humidity that reminds us not to take anything for granted. For the afternoon, the forecasts indicate the possibility of showers or thunderstorms, although the models do not agree on temperatures or the intensity of the weather conditions.

On days like these, the work begins with observation: the sky, the air, the bunches of grapes, the soil. Ripening does not follow a straight line, and every decision needs its own time. Before any possible rain arrives, close monitoring and the ability to change plans without forcing the vineyard are what matter.

This is exactly what Dimitra, our oenologist, is doing: she takes grape samples to analyse in our laboratory the degree of ripeness and other technical parameters that are constantly monitored throughout the harvest. The grapes that arrived today will become our Pratto wine: they look beautiful, with rounded, fully ripe acidity. The aroma in the air is a delight.

The harvest is also made up of this kind of tangible waiting: not stillness, but attention.

In Lugana, this morning, the rain is already falling and the sky remains overcast. More showers and possible thunderstorms are expected in the afternoon: a day that calls for caution, without taking shortcuts. Today there will be no harvesting.

In the vineyard, not every hour is an hour for harvesting. There are times when the work consists of stopping, observing how long the vines remain wet, checking how the soil absorbs the water and postponing a decision until the right conditions are in place to make it properly.

Ripening continues even during these pauses. Field observations, the condition of the bunches and the weather over the next few hours will indicate the way forward. Waiting is part of the work, just as much as the act of harvesting.

So today we continue with the careful and rigorous analysis of our musts, and from the results obtained so far we can already say with certainty that 2026 will be a vintage of pronounced minerality.

Today in Lugana we have resumed the harvest. The work on Chardonnay is coming to an end and the first bunches of Turbiana are beginning to arrive: a clear transition that changes the rhythm of the days and opens the central phase of the harvest.

In Lugana di Sirmione, the weather is mild, with cooler air accompanying the work among the rows. Current weather conditions indicate mostly sunny skies, with humidity and temperatures expected between 23 and 29 °C. It is a day that allows us to proceed steadily, without losing the attention required when selecting the bunches and determining the timing of their arrival at the winery.

And so the harvest moves forward, one variety after another. As the Chardonnay comes to an end, Turbiana begins its journey: each harvest follows precise timing, determined by observing the ripening process and seeking the right balance between freshness, acidity and fruit development.

In Lugana, the morning is humid but bright. The temperature is around 23 degrees, the wind is light and the day is expected to remain dry. Here, the weather invites us to monitor the ripening process continuously, taking advantage of the clearer hours to interpret precisely what is happening in the bunches.

In Valpolicella, between Negrar and San Pietro in Cariano, the same morning begins instead with a shower and temperatures of around 21 degrees. The expected sunny spells do not erase the effects of the rain that has just fallen: before making any decision, we need to check how wet the vines are, the condition of the soil and the actual conditions in each row. At the beginning of September, we are preparing to begin the harvest in this area as well.

There is no single kind of harvest day. Each territory sets its own rhythm and calls for different decisions: in Lugana, the focus is on ripening during a dry spell; in Valpolicella, on waiting and assessing conditions after the rain. Part of the work also lies in keeping these different timings distinct, without forcing them.

In the photo, Igino Dal Cero and our team of cellar workers and oenologists discussing the grapes that have just arrived.

In Sirmione, the weather over these days brings real uncertainty: the forecasts do not agree on the arrival of rain, but they all indicate changeable conditions, with temperatures that may approach 29 degrees. Among the rows, this means observing before deciding, checking the bunches, leaves and soil without relying solely on the sky as seen from a distance.

Today we begin harvesting the red grapes that will be used to make La Rosa dei Frati and, in part, Ronchedone.

Meanwhile, in Valpolicella, the rain is expected mainly between the night and the morning, followed by a gradual return of clearer skies. Here, the focus is on the checks that are necessary before beginning any activity in the vineyard: the beginning of next week will be dedicated to harvesting in this area.

The same date does not impose the same rhythm. Each territory requires its own interpretation, and each of our teams must adapt its work to the conditions it actually encounters. This is how the diary remains faithful to the harvest: by distinguishing between places, timings and decisions.

We wish all our grape pickers a successful harvest during this second week of the season: almost 300 people putting their hands to work to harvest our bunches of grapes.

Today, as yesterday, the harvest changes colour. In Lugana, the harvesting of the red grapes destined for La Rosa dei Frati begins.

The day is warm and dry: by morning the temperature has already risen above 26 °C, with humidity around 73%; passing clouds are expected in the afternoon, with no rainfall and light winds from the north-east. Conditions that call for pace, attention and precise choices during the harvest.

For a rosé, the moment when the bunches are picked is crucial: the aim is to find the right balance between ripeness, acidity and freshness, without losing the character of the fruit. It is from this balance, even before the colour, that the journey of La Rosa dei Frati begins.

Today we harvest the first red grapes. A new stage of the harvest, with different gestures and timing, but with the same care.

When the rain kisses the grapes and the weather decides to play in our favour.

The red grapes are harvested slightly earlier to capture their freshness (before returning to the same vineyard to harvest the same grapes at a more advanced stage of ripeness), refreshing rains help preserve the health of the bunches, and fermentations are carefully designed to ensure that not even a trace of the aromas contained in the skins is lost. All of this will come together in a future glass of rosé.

Yesterday, a hailstorm affected mainly the western and south-eastern parts of the province, with its final effects reaching the vineyards of Lugana. Fortunately, however, no significant damage was recorded on our land, only minor losses in quantity, without compromising the quality of the future wine.

In Valpolicella, the harvest of Corvina begins, the grape that holds the soul of our Amarone Pietro Dal Cero.

The bunches are harvested by hand and carefully selected, choosing the healthiest and loosest ones. From here, they are taken to our drying loft in the Marcellise area, where they rest until January for the slow and natural drying process.

Month after month, the grapes lose water and concentrate aromas, sugars and structure: an essential period of waiting that builds the depth and complexity of our Amarone.

This is where a new vintage of Pietro Dal Cero begins.

In Lugana, the day begins with sunshine and already humid air. The temperature is expected to rise to around 33 degrees, while the sky may alternate between sunshine and clouds. But today, in the vineyard, is not a day like any other: it is the final day of harvesting the red grapes destined for Ronchedone. This brings an important phase of the harvest to a close, after days in which every decision was guided above all by observing the grapes and the changing weather conditions.

At this time of year, the work does not follow the clock alone. What matters is the temperature of the bunches, the time that passes between cutting and their arrival at the winery, the possibility of moving a team, bringing a harvest forward or stopping if the weather changes. Ripeness, too, is not measured by sweetness alone: acidity, the integrity and ripeness of the skins, the condition of the seeds and tasting the berries continue to guide our decisions, row after row.

For red grapes, this attention is even more important: the skin is not merely a protection for the berry, but holds a fundamental part of the wine’s future colour, aromas and structure. Reaching the right moment for harvesting therefore means seeking a balance, not simply achieving a certain sugar level.

The heat of these days calls for a steady pace, but not haste. The crates must reach the winery in the best possible condition, and every stage is organised according to the timing of the grapes.

Today, the last bunches destined for Ronchedone leave the vineyard. It marks the end of the harvest of our red grapes, but for the wine it is only the beginning: from this moment, the work moves to the winery, where everything we have followed and waited for in the vineyards will slowly begin to take the form of the new Ronchedone.

The harvest of Turbiana begins, the grape we use to produce Lugana DOC.

It is a short sentence, but it contains an entire year of work: the time spent among the rows, the waiting, the checks and the decisions made day after day. Today, in Lugana, it is time for the final preparations; the bunches themselves set the pace for the vineyard and the winery.

The forecast for Sirmione indicates stable, sunny and very warm weather. This, too, becomes part of the work of the harvest: organising the timing, seeking out the cooler hours and proceeding with care. The beginning is not a symbolic gesture, but a concrete sequence of choices.

Few words remain, and a great deal of concentration. The moment has arrived: Turbiana leaves the vineyard and begins its journey.

At dawn, the vineyard moves at a different pace. The light slowly filters through the leaves of the Turbiana, tracing the outlines of the rows and gradually revealing what might escape notice during the day. These are quiet hours, precious for observing the vineyard before the work of harvesting begins.

During the harvest, every morning brings new assessments, and this is how we proceed with the 2026 harvest as well. We check the bunches, taste the berries, and examine the skins and pulp. Ripening does not progress in the same way everywhere and requires careful attention: even just a few days can affect the balance between sugar and acidity, which is so important for Turbiana.

Following a calendar is not enough. We need to walk among the rows, listen to the experience of those who work through them every day, and choose the right moment with care. Where necessary, we wait; elsewhere, harvesting can begin, carefully selecting the bunches. The harvest is also made up of these decisions, often taken in the early hours of the day, when the light is still low and the air retains the coolness of the night.

Then the sun rises and the silence gives way to voices, crates and the footsteps of people at work. But for a few minutes, the vineyard remains like this: immersed in the morning light, ready to accompany us through another day of harvesting.

The harvest continues even far from the vineyard rows. In the laboratory, each tank is monitored day after day through the analysis of musts and fermentations by our team of oenologists: nothing is left to chance, harvest after harvest.

In the laboratory, density and residual sugars tell us the pace at which the yeasts are working; temperature allows us to check that fermentation is proceeding steadily; pH, total acidity and volatile acidity help us assess the balance of the must and identify any deviations at an early stage. It is not just the individual value that matters: it is the way it evolves, sample after sample, that tells us how the substance is transforming, from must into wine.

Then comes the tasting. In the photo, Igino brings the glass to his nose and mouth, observes, evaluates and discusses. Analytical data measures what is happening in the tank; experience seeks in the sample the purity of the aromas, freshness, balance and the direction the wine is taking.

During fermentation, even a small variation may call for an additional check, another tasting, a decision made at the right moment. In the laboratory, the harvest finds a different voice: the sounds of picking give way to the silence of numbers and the precise gestures of those who know how to interpret them.

In Lugana di Sirmione, the day begins under a heavily overcast sky, with humid air and rain returning at intervals. After the heat of recent days, temperatures have dropped and the pace in the vineyard changes: the soil and the bunches are observed, waiting for the best conditions to resume harvesting.

For Turbiana, in fact, harvesting means above all choosing the right moment. Sugar levels alone are not enough: acidity, pH, ripeness of the skins, integrity of the bunches and tasting the berries all help determine when each vineyard is ready. The harvest therefore proceeds parcel by parcel, following ripening patterns that can differ even over short distances.

And while the rain slows the work among the rows, the harvest continues in the winery. The musts obtained from the grapes picked in the previous days are already fermenting: temperature and density are checked daily to monitor the activity of the yeasts and the gradual transformation of sugars into alcohol.

This is the dual rhythm of these days: outside, we wait and observe the Turbiana still on the vine; inside the winery, the grapes already harvested have slowly begun to become wine.

The harvesting of Turbiana has the patient pace of those who know how to wait and recognise the right moment. In the vineyard, not all bunches ripen at the same time: even along the same row, each vine follows a slightly different rhythm, shaped by its exposure, the soil and the days spent in the sun. This is why we choose to harvest exclusively by hand and to return twice to the rows.

The first pass gathers what is ready; the second waits for the bunches that still need a few more days to complete their ripening. It is slow work, made up of attention, experience and repeated gestures: eyes observe, hands select, people accompany the grapes on their first step towards the winery. Then we return, retracing the same rows, to listen once again to what the vineyard has to tell us.

The harvest began on 17 August and today we are about halfway through the journey. The weather has become cooler, with temperatures around 26 degrees: milder days that accompany the work and require us, as always, to carefully observe the evolution of each parcel. The calendar points us in a direction, but it is the ripeness and condition of the bunches that set the true pace of the harvest. We will try to finish by the first days of October, without rushing what still needs time.

For us, harvesting by hand is a deliberate choice. It means embracing the differences within the vineyard without forcing its timing, selecting each bunch in the place where it has grown. This is how Turbiana is harvested: retracing our steps, waiting when necessary and allowing the vineyard, day after day, to tell us when the right moment has arrived.

The harvest also continues in Valpolicella, in our vineyard at Pian di Castagnè, where these days we are harvesting Corvina by hand, one of the grape varieties that is fundamental to the production of Amarone della Valpolicella.

Here, harvesting requires particular attention. The bunches are cut by hand and selected directly in the vineyard: the drying process requires healthy, intact grapes with well-spaced berries, capable of withstanding the months ahead without developing undesirable alterations.

The harvest, in fact, is only the first stage of the journey. After picking, the grapes destined for Amarone are transferred to our drying loft, where the bunches are placed in crates to encourage air circulation and begin a slow period of drying.

As the berries gradually lose water, they decrease in weight while the concentration of sugars, acids, polyphenols and aromatic compounds increases. At the same time, important metabolic transformations continue within the grapes, contributing to the future complexity of the wine.

At this stage, temperature, relative humidity and ventilation become crucial. The process must proceed slowly and under controlled conditions, preventing the accumulation of moisture and preserving the healthy condition of the bunches as much as possible.

Corvina is particularly well suited to the drying process, also thanks to the characteristics of its skin and the structure of the berry. This is precisely why selection begins among the rows: what happens in the drying loft depends, first and foremost, on the quality of the grapes we bring there.

At Pian di Castagnè, therefore, every bunch is harvested with the months ahead already in mind. For some grapes, the harvest marks the end of the work in the vineyard; for those destined for Amarone, however, it opens a new phase of waiting.

A crate suspended for a moment above the vineyard rows. Almost a freeze-frame of these days, as the harvest continues and summer seems not yet ready to give way to autumn.

In mid-September, the weather remains favourable and temperatures are still reaching peaks close to 30 °C. In our vineyards, the harvest of Turbiana, the grape used to produce Lugana DOC, continues, always strictly by hand. We cultivate around 350 hectares of Turbiana and will continue harvesting it until the end of the harvest season, following the different timing and ripening of each vineyard, approximately until the end of September.

Meanwhile, in the winery, today we carried out the racking of the red wines: this means separating the wine, after fermentation and maceration, from the skins and seeds with which it has remained in contact for a certain period of time. An important step that marks a new phase in their winemaking process.

For Turbiana, the process is different. The freshly harvested grapes arrive at the winery and undergo gentle pressing, a delicate and gradual process that allows us to obtain the finest fractions of the juice, including the so-called “free-run must”, while preserving its freshness and quality.

With temperatures still this high, every stage requires particular attention. We also use CO₂ as an inert gas to protect the grapes and must from contact with oxygen and to limit the unwanted onset of spontaneous fermentation, which the heat could accelerate.

Outside, meanwhile, the crates continue to move above the vineyard rows. The Turbiana slowly leaves the vineyard and begins its journey towards becoming wine.

During the harvest, the oenologist’s work in the winery is made up of observation, analysis and daily decisions. When the Turbiana arrives, the process begins by assessing the condition of the grapes and their degree of ripeness. Sugar levels and acidity are among the main parameters used to understand the balance of the grapes and guide the subsequent stages of processing.

After gentle pressing, attention shifts to the must and, once fermentation begins, each tank is monitored day after day. Temperature and density are checked in particular to ensure that fermentation is progressing correctly. These data are always accompanied by tasting: an essential tool for the oenologist, allowing them to follow the evolution of the wine and interpret what numbers alone cannot reveal.

Meanwhile, in Valpolicella, the work continues at a completely different pace. The harvested grapes destined for Amarone are placed in the drying loft, where the long drying period begins. Here, attention is focused on the environmental conditions and the state of the bunches, which are checked regularly as they slowly lose water and concentrate their components.

On one side, the Turbiana beginning its transformation in the winery; on the other, the grapes from Valpolicella resting in the drying loft: two different rhythms of the same harvest.

In Lugana, today begins with mild temperatures and windy conditions on the lake, before temperatures rise to levels that are still distinctly summery. The forecast indicates a sky alternating between high clouds and thicker cloud cover, with no rain and light winds changing direction over the course of the day.

During the harvest, even a dry day calls for careful judgement. The heat makes it important to choose the right timing, reduce the time between the vineyard and the winery, and observe each bunch before placing it in the crates. It is not enough for the ground to be accessible: parcel by parcel, we need to understand which grapes have reached the balance we are looking for and which still need more time.

The Lugana area began harvesting as early as mid-August. Today, the work continues through a combination of tasting, constant analysis and the actual conditions in the vineyard. This is how the harvest proceeds: not out of habit, but through decisions made anew every morning.

In Lugana, we are now in the final days of the harvest. Most of the Turbiana is already in the winery, but the harvest is not yet complete: the last grapes remain in the vineyards, those we have chosen to leave on the vines for longer and which will be destined for Pratto and Tre Filer.

For Pratto, the Turbiana is harvested late. At this stage, we focus primarily on sugar levels, acidity and the health of the bunches, monitoring the evolution of ripening until the most suitable moment for harvesting. A few extra days on the vine allow the grapes to develop greater concentration and complexity.

For Tre Filer, on the other hand, the bunches destined for drying are selected. After harvesting, the grapes will slowly continue their journey, losing part of their water and concentrating sugars, aromas and extractive compounds.

During these final days, the volumes decrease and attention to selection becomes even greater. We proceed parcel by parcel, tasting the grapes, observing the bunches and checking the analytical parameters.

The harvest is almost over. The last bunches of Turbiana remain, with two different paths ahead of them: late harvesting for Pratto and drying for Tre Filer. In both cases, it is time that makes the difference.

In Lugana today, the sun accompanies the final days of the harvest. With temperatures around 23–24 °C, we are completing the harvest of the Turbiana destined for our Lugana DOC: the last bunches are arriving at the winery and the work is shifting increasingly from the vineyard to the laboratory.

Here, musts and wines are monitored daily. Test tubes, flasks and samples tell us what is happening in the tanks: through analysis, we monitor the progress of fermentation and the main parameters that allow us to guide each stage of the winemaking process with precision.

It is a particular moment in the harvest: while we pick the last bunches of Turbiana in the vineyard, in the winery the Lugana of the new vintage has already begun its journey.

Each sample is a snapshot of this moment, each piece of data a tool for understanding and guiding the wine that is taking shape.

Today the harvest comes to an end.

The last bunches to be picked are those of Turbiana destined for Tre Filer, left to dry naturally on the vine to achieve greater concentration. A late harvest that, almost symbolically, brings these weeks of work to a close.

Then the shears fall silent, the crates are emptied and the harvest changes rhythm.

We all gathered together in the courtyard, around 300 people from the Ca’ dei Frati team and the cooperative workers who have been with us for years during the manual grape harvest.

A long table, something to eat, glasses raised and, finally, the time to look around and appreciate the work we have accomplished together with a well-deserved toast.

Because the harvest is made of grapes, of course. But above all, it is made of hands.

Hands that pick, select, transport and receive the grapes at the winery. Hundreds of people who, day after day, contribute to the same result.

Today we raised our glasses to them, to the harvest just completed and to everything that, from tomorrow, will continue in the winery.

The harvest ends here.
The journey of the wine, however, has only just begun.