~ The mercurial nature of the climate impacts every harvest ~
This past week, winemakers and friends began sending me reports and videos of flooding in Tuscany. Vineyards in Chianti Rufina were devastated by the Sieve river spilling over its banks. In Firenze, the Arno is swollen after inches of rain dropped in only days. Climate impacts farming. And it seems to present differing challenges every year.
With stories like this in mind, I had the idea for this article. But before I continue, I want to be clear about the purpose of this piece. This isn’t a political discussion. The impact of the weather on wine making and farming is the focus here. Not why the climate is doing what it is or who is responsible for it or not. Period.
What I will say is this. Readers ask me all the time what I think of the changing climate and how it impacts Tuscany. This is how I approach the issue.
~ The Arno in Firenze appears swollen, prior to cresting on March 17th. This after 3+ inches of rain in 2 days ~
You cannot travel in Tuscany and believe that the climate isn’t changing. Every agronomist, every winemaker, will tell you that it is. Heat spells last longer. Dry conditions last longer. And generally, harvests occur earlier than they did 10 or 15 years ago. But that being said, the climate has always been changing. That much is also clear.
Tuscany used to be under the sea. At Campochiarenti, Daniele Rosti has fossilized sea shells lined up on his garden walls. They are strewn about his vineyards and he unearths them constantly. The same is true for many other producers whose vineyards are 600-800 feet above sea level. I show my Tour guests examples almost everywhere we visit.
~ This is my hand next to oyster shells recovered from Campochiarenti’s vineyards. These fossils are over 1 million years old ~
Another example is Castello Banfi, who is well known for their Brunello. But in 2007 they made a different sort of historic discovery. Outside the walls of the Poggio alle Mura castle, a complete fossilized whale skeleton was discovered. Again, at almost 700 feet above sea level. She was named “Brunella”.
~ Workers at Castello Banfi excavating Brunella the Whale ~
So where does that leave us?
I tell people who listen objectively that it’s clear the climate is changing. Even when looking at areas like Champagne, which rarely declared a vintage year, but now does so almost annually. Or England, which is now warm enough to reliably produce good sparkling wines. It’s equally as obvious in Tuscany.
Why? I don’t know. Is it naturally cyclical? Is it man-made? Is it both? I believe the answer lies somewhere in the middle. But as far as that discussion goes, it ends here.
The purpose of this Feature, is to bring you the opinions of winemakers and share what they are doing to address it.
Climate Change Impact on the Vineyards of Tuscany
In advance of this Feature, I sent an extensive list of questions to winemakers across all areas of Tuscany. I wanted to cover from North to South. I wanted to cover differing elevations and I wanted to cover all major wine zones. As a result, I received input from the following winemaking regions: Chianti Colli Senesi, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile, Brunello, Maremma, Montecucco and Carmignano. In many cases, I received multiple responses from some of these appellations. I gave the winemakers the opportunity to request anonymity and none of them chose to do so.
Organized below are sections devoted to the questions as I posed them. Within each section, are the remarks by the producers. I think you will notice a familiar refrain. The answers are unedited, except where slight changes were needed to better present the respondents English.
Question 1
What are the biggest challenges from climate change that you must address in your vineyards and on your grapes?
“Everyone probably says the biggest problem is the hot summer, but the real problem is frost in spring and too much rain when it is not needed. The 2023 harvest, without production, was related to a lot of rain in June. We had 134mm, while in June 2022 we had only 58mm and in 2024 we had 76mm. Another big problem is the lack of cold in winter; this changes the way buds start opening (time and production). Yes, we prefer that temperature in summer remains below 35°C but we can work to reduce vines stress above this temperature.” …. Daniele Rosti, Campochiarenti, San Gimignano.
“Climate change poses several challenges for vineyards and grape production, affecting both the quality and quantity of yields. Here are some of the biggest issues growers must address:
1. Rising Temperatures – Higher temperatures can accelerate grape ripening, leading to imbalanced sugar and acid levels, affecting wine quality.
2.Water Scarcity & Drought – More frequent droughts limit water availability, stressing vines and reducing yields. Increased reliance on irrigation can lead to resource depletion and higher production costs. (TV note, this can only be true in appellations where irrigation is allowed)
3.Extreme Weather Events – Frost events, hailstorms, heavy rains, and strong winds can damage vines, reduce yields, and lead to disease outbreaks.
4.Pests & Diseases – Warmer temperatures enable pests (like grapevine moths) and diseases (such as powdery and downy mildew) to thrive.
5.Changing Wine Profiles – Higher sugar levels from heat lead to increased alcohol content, altering traditional wine styles.” …. Giulio Carmassi, Enologo, Gagliole, Panzano & Castellina.
“Poggio Stenti is located in Val d’Orcia, on the first slopes of Monte Amiata, a volcanic mountain that defines the landscape and climate of our vineyards. This unique location has always been a blessing, offering altitude, volcanic soils, and a natural cooling influence that protects our vines. However, like many other producers in Tuscany, we are adapting to the challenges that climate change is bringing to our land. In recent years, we have observed warmer summers, unpredictable rainfall, and more extreme weather patterns. Our vines, deeply rooted in volcanic soils, have a good natural resilience to drought, but prolonged heat waves accelerate ripening, making it harder to maintain the balance between acidity and sugar. At the same time, erratic storms and stronger winds bring challenges that we must manage carefully, particularly in delicate phases like flowering and harvest.” …. Eleonora Pieri, Proprietor, Poggio Stenti, Montecucco.
~ A portion of the new cellar at Gagliole, Panzano ~
“The biggest challenge is to achieve the optimal phenolic ripeness without having “baked” grapes. Many things factor into this. It is the main reason why, in order to obtain a great wine, one single harvest in a specific plot is not enough. Usually at least 2 harvests per plot are necessary. This sort of uneven ripening was never so widespread or regular.” ….Ettore Rizzi, Winemaker, Fattoria Le Pupille, Maremma.
~ Gagliole’s Pecchia Vineyard in Panzano is one of the highest in Chianti Classico ~
“The challenges are many and varied. Generally, the harvest is anywhere from 2-3 weeks earlier than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Phenomena such as late frosts, hail, prolonged periods of rain, very hot and dry summers, have become more frequent in the last 30 years. Before they were rarities, now we live with them, but we have found a way to deal with them and contain them.” ….Andrea Contucci, Proprietor, Montepulciano.
“Honestly, it’s almost hard to zero in on one factor. At Famiglia Cecchi, we have independent wine estates in many parts of Tuscany. And they are all different. In Maremma, there is much less risk of frost. But in Chianti Classico for example, the risk has been severe in recent years. (like in 2017 when we lost almost 40% of our production at Villa Cerna) And of course intermittent unpredictable events like hail and drought are becoming less rare.” …. Miria Bracali, Chief Agronomist, Famiglia Cecchi.
Question 2
Do you feel that these challenges are manageable or are they overwhelming?
“Hot summers could be a problem for high production but we are able to manage it in order to produce good grapes. The worst part is when a very hot summer follows a frosty spring. That means small production at the beginning, followed by low quantity at veraison (invaiatura). So the vines are not balanced. We can do different vine training for hot weather but we cannot do anything against very low temperature or very high rainfall.” ….Daniele Rosti, Campochiarenti.
“These challenges can be managed, within the limits of the magnitude of the severity of the various events.”…. Giulio Carmassi, Gagliole.
“The vines can manage everything. That’s the beauty of it. What is going to slowly change is the style of wine, which is already happening” …. Ettore Rizzi, Le Pupille.
“Sure! These are manageable challenges, we just need time to adapt.” ….Elisa Fanti, Tenuta Fanti.
“They are manageable. The vines have been here in Tuscany for millenia. They adapt. We have to adapt with them. The trick is that each year is different now. You can’t plan ahead as you could in the past.” ….Andrea Contucci, Contucci.
“Certainly they are manageable. But we have to remain nimble and be ready to adapt treatments and methods to our various vineyards. Communication among the team is key because conditions can change rapidly from week to week. The plants adapt. They have always done that. Even in a condition like 2023 we were able to adapt to a degree.” Miria Bracali, Famiglia Cecchi.
~ Andrea Cecchi, Proprietor ~
“Obviously, not all of these events can be managed; we can limit the damage, but not eliminate it entirely. There are preventive and management methods. Preventive methods are all those agronomic choices that make the life of the plants easier and are the precautions taken before the vineyard is planted.”
“Safeguards like:
• Eliminating marginal soils and fields, such as sandy soils (if hilly, for example) or soils that are too clayey, which could cause water stress to the plant.
• Appropriate vine grafting.
• Exposure and altitude choice.
• Planting in areas with access to water.
It is certain that nowadays we need to be more attentive; I list below some management methods:
• Soil cultivation
• Management of the green parts of the vines to protect the grape clusters from UV radiation.
• Water regulation systems
• Delayed pruning to postpone the vine budding in order to limit damage from a late frost.” …. Andrea Cecchi, Proprietor Famiglia Cecchi Estates.
~ The tender shoots of Spring are the most vulnerable to weather and animals ~
Question 3
What methods do you employ to combat the changing climate?
“We have to work better on the soil, keeping high permeability for rain and reducing transpirability during the hot summers. I mentioned already that vines must be trained in a different way if summer is hot or with high humidity. This includes managing the canopy to retain shade on the grapes as well.” ….Daniele Rosti, Campochiarenti.
“There are a lot of things we can do. This is why I say that almost anything can be managed if we can adapt. For example:
- Use of drought-resistant rootstocks (example 110 R.)
- Adjusting canopy management to protect grapes from excessive heat and sun exposure.
- Using soil management techniques to conserve moisture.
- Using water-efficient irrigation systems in the new vineyards.
- Using bio-stimulants extracted from algae to improve water stresses.
- Using rock dust (kaolin) to protect leaves and grapes from excessive radiation.
- Increasing the number of vineyard monitors to check the health status of vineyards.
- Increasing the number of vineyard monitors for grapevine moth oviposition.
- Use of beneficial insects to combat antagonistic insects.” ….Giulio Carmassi, Gagliole.
“We are fine-tuning every aspect of vineyard management to adapt to these changes. Cover crops help retain moisture and prevent erosion, while careful canopy management protects the grapes from excessive sun exposure. We also adjust pruning times to delay the vine’s cycle slightly, helping to avoid the hottest periods during ripening. Additionally, we are experimenting with organic and regenerative practices to improve soil resilience and water retention.” ….Eleonora Pieri, Poggio Stenti.
~ Another example is the newly built fermentation area at Poggio Stenti. This is a cool, covered area that is now fully enclosed by glass doors ~
“A sustainable agronomical approach for us is the key to combat this climate: optimal canopy management, never any topping of the vines, natural grassing to dissipate sun-rays and manure fertilizing are VERY important.” ….Ettore Rizzi, Le Pupille.
“For sure, we have multiple methods we use. For instance, from modifying soil tillage (more intense in winter and between the vines during spring). This helps with drainage and water retention when needed. Also we manage pruning carefully and the leaf wall. The leaf wall is important for maximizing air flow, photosynthesis and treatment penetration, if we need to combat mildew, etc. ” …. Elisa Fanti, Tenuta Fanti.
“We try to do whatever is needed. But two of the more important aspects are canopy management and working the soils to make sure retention and drainage are optimal. In Val delle Rose (TV, Cecchi’s Maremma Estate) we can irrigate, but in other places that is not allowed as you know.” ….Miria Bracali, Famiglia Cecchi.
Question 4
Are there specific tactics you employ or do you simply plan to harvest earlier as the seasons weather may dictate?
“As you say, it depends what the weather dictates. But, we follow the seasonal weather. If it is possible to harvest earlier it is always better because we can save more grapes from wild animals eating.” ….Daniele Rosti.
“We try to work well throughout the season to have healthy and strong plants. We do not harvest early in the season unless there are adverse conditions, but we harvest the grapes when they have reached proper phenolic maturity.” Guilio Carmassi, Gagliole.
“Rather than just harvesting earlier, we take a more holistic approach. We closely monitor each vineyard block and adjust our viticultural techniques to slow down ripening, allowing the grapes to maintain their balance naturally. We’ve also started implementing shade management strategies—sometimes leaving more leaves on the vine to protect the fruit or adjusting the orientation of new plantings to minimize sun stress.” ….Eleonora Pieri, Poggio Stenti.
“Please, let’s just forget that harvesting earlier is the key to obtaining less alcohol or less stressed grapes. To make a great wine we need perfectly ripe grapes. Unripe grapes are not ideal and once you start to transform them, the wine will always be very unpleasant to drink with harsh tannins and unripe acidity. The tactic is in the agronomical management and extraction during fermentation.” ….Ettore Rizzi, Le Pupille.
“Harvesting depends on the vintage; we try to manage the maturation of the grapes more than the time for harvesting. Sangiovese is a grape variety that needs its time to bring the grapes to maturity. We, by company style, do not like green tannins or unstructured wines so we will try to manage the plants so that it leads to a slower and more even maturation, of course when the season allows. It is always coming back to that. What the season allows or provides and how we pivot to adapt.” …. Elisa Fanti, Tenuta Fanti.
~ Cinghiale and Deer can ruin a season’s worth of work in a vineyard over night. The over population of “pests” has become a real and expensive concern for wine farmers ~
“Before anything we want to have fully ripened grapes. Only then do you make great wine. So we listen to the plants. We harvest when they are ready, not on any timeline. I always say, Giovanni, Working with wine means interpreting each harvest, respecting its rhythm, and then guiding it to the bottle.” ….Miria Bracali, Famiglia Cecchi.
Question 5
Beyond increased temperatures, do you find significant changes in other aspects of the weather? For example, are hail and frost occurring more often and are they more severe? What other weather trends might be impacting decisions?
“Hail and frost are always scary. Hail is a problem we had many times. In 1980 we had to harvest in advance because we had a severe hail storm in September that damaged all of our vineyards but also car windscreens and bodywork sustained damage from hail sized like an orange fruit. Now we are using nets to protect grapes from wild boars and deer but they also help with hail.” …. Daniele Rosti.
“Besides hail and frost as we’ve mentioned, another issue is warm, hot winds from North Africa. These can also damage vineyards.” ….Giulio Carmassi, Gagliole.
“Unfortunately, yes. Hailstorms and intense winds have become more frequent and severe, sometimes damaging vines and reducing yields in an instant. Spring frosts, which were once rare thanks to Monte Amiata’s protective effect, now pose a real threat. The erratic nature of rainfall is another concern—long dry periods followed by heavy downpours mean we must be more strategic in managing water and soil health.” ….Eleonora Pieri, Poggio Stenti.
“In Maremma we are quite lucky, being so close to the Sea, that we don’t often have issues with hail or frost. But, we often see Summers that are dry; where we don’t see a drop of rain for months.” ….Ettore Rizzi, Le Pupille.
“Certainly the problem is that we are not having “normal” seasons. Winter is shorter, snowfall is infrequent, and we have more risk of Spring frost. Rainfall is not well distributed throughout the year, but we are seeing intense and long-lasting rainfall events over a few months, followed by long hot and dry periods.” ….Elisa Fanti, Tenuta Fanti.
“We have become as much weathermen as farmers. We assess every day. We plan each week ahead as best we can. It takes only one violent hail storm to ruin a growing season. Our vineyards are scattered about Montepulciano as you know. East, West, and in the valley. So we hope to never see an impact in totality.” ….Andrea Contucci, Contucci.
~ Montepulciano dominates the Val di Chiana ~
Question 6
Finally, keeping in mind harvest times and heartiness of certain grapes vs. others, does the variety of grape impact your actions? For example, do you treat Sangiovese different from Cabernet or Merlot?
“For us, the main difference is between white and red varieties. Vernaccia di San Gimignano needs a different training regimen compared to Sangiovese; starting from green pruning all the way to the harvest. All these issues mean we have to work harder in the vineyards in order to have the best possible grapes from our terroir.” ….Daniele Rosti.
“No, the variety of grape doesn’t impact my actions. I treat all varieties equally, to limit variables.” ….Giulio Carmassi, Gagliole.
“Absolutely. Sangiovese, being thin-skinned and sensitive, reacts strongly to climate fluctuations. We are particularly careful about managing sun exposure and water stress, ensuring that the vines remain balanced and don’t overproduce sugar at the expense of acidity. Cabernet Sauvignon, which we also grow, is more heat-resistant, but its longer ripening cycle makes it vulnerable to the increasingly unpredictable autumn rains. For each variety, we adapt our vineyard work to ensure the grapes reach the right phenolic maturity while maintaining the freshness and elegance that define our wines.” ….Eleonora Pieri, Poggio Stenti.
“Absolutely, yes. Every variety needs to be treated differently to obtain the maximum quality. How? Most of the times Sangiovese flowers are already exposed to the sun whilst with Cabernet, to keep the freshness until the very last moments, we leave the leaves shading the bunches right up until harvest time.” ….Ettore Rizzi, Le Pupille.
“All the varieties have an individual characteristic and their reaction is different in different microclimates. So we absolutely have to follow the needs of each individual plant. Even within the same Sangiovese vineyard there are different clones and root stocks and even then we have to behave differently.” ….Elisa Fanti, Tenuta Fanti.
“As you know Giovanni, we do not have international vines, we only use Sangiovese and other native varieties. Yet still, depending on exposure, clone, variety – there could be many differences. Our agronomists manage the plants very, very carefully.” ….Andrea Contucci, Contucci.
“Yes, but again, that extends to the Cecchi family estates. At Villa Cerna or Villa Rosa we don’t have Cabernet or Merlot. But even among the native vines, there can be the need for different approaches. Then at Val delle Rose and Tenuta Alzatura (TV, Cecchi’s Montefalco Estate) where we grow Sagrantino that is very different from anything, the methods can be quite different. There is no one standard approach.” ….Miria Bracali, Famiglia Cecchi.
Closing Remarks & Thoughts
Before continuing, I want to publicly thank all the winemakers, agronomists and proprietors who took the time to respond for this article. Their support, indeed their outright appreciation and encouragement for this piece, is truly appreciated by me. I value our collaboration and look forward to seeing you soon.
In reading their responses several times, two major things are clear to me. First, the challenges are real but there is nothing about them that can’t be managed. Repeatedly, we heard “we can adapt”. I found that to be very encouraging. Second, the issues surrounding water management are also key. Pivoting techniques when there is too much or not enough is an adaptation that will remain critically important. Yet again, the optimism seems universal.
In terms of increased heat, surprisingly that is among the easiest issues for the growers to manage. Provided again, that it doesn’t come with excessive drought. And like the vagaries of hail, frost remains a major concern. Several producers above mentioned pruning times/schedules as a way to delay bud break to mitigate some of the frost risk.
Additionally, I thought the uniform lack of concern regarding the timing of harvest was interesting. Ripeness, full phenolic ripeness is the key, not when that ripeness occurs. But, like other factors discussed, this requires nimble preparation. When it’s time to harvest, you stop everything to do so. Because as was often repeated, the next week’s weather holds no promises.
~ The English Philosopher, Bernard Williams said, “There was never a night or problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.” ~
The author H. Jackson Brown, Jr. is quoted: “the best preparation for tomorrow, is doing your best today.” We as wine lovers must be thankful for the passion, dedication and fortitude of Tuscany’s wine producers. As I’ve written many times, we tend to romanticize wine. But it’s only farming. Hard farming.
The easy work happens when grapes are safely tucked into the cellar. We should all reflect on that and, keep in mind what Miria Bracali said above….
……”all our work is to guide it to the bottle.”
Thank you for reading, for your support of Tuscan Vines and for these amazing families. Salute!
My wife and I are interested in your 2027 wine tour.
Thank you,
Dan Cable
I’ve sent you an email, thanks Dan.
Wonderful detailed article as always … glad to hear the wine producers feel so positive about handling the issues they may have to confront in the future … thanks so much
Appreciate that Steve, thanks. Hope to see you soon.