In Italy harvest and marketing of first volumes of seeded table grape varieties Victoria and Black Magic started in mid-May in Mazzarrone (Catania), in the south of Sicily. These table grape varieties are grown in greenhouses without artificial heating, which allows temperature to rise and ripening periods to be anticipated. In Sicily, where dry, hot climate favours table grapes ripening processes’ acceleration, harvest has continued also involving large part of other vineyards, grown in greenhouses in order to anticipate their ripening. A month later harvest of table grape variety Black Magic started in heated greenhouses in Apulia, in the area of Salento. A week later will start also the harvest of white table grape variety Victoria.
Salento is a sub-peninsula which extends itself in the south extremity of Apulia region, between the Ionian Sea on the west side and the Adriatic Sea on the east side, and it encompasses the entire province of Lecce, large parte of the area of Brindisi and part of that of Taranto. This area is characterised by a mild climate, no cold winds and it is favourable for the production of early ripening table grapes. Some companies producing cut flowers are turning greenhouses cultivation into early ripening vineyards, because they consider this production more convenient. Although other Apulian areas have covered vineyards near Adriatic coasts, they are not able to ripe table grape before the end of June, with a 45-day delay compared to warmer areas in the south of Sicily, located in front of North Africa. At the end of June in earlier areas of Mola di Bari will start the harvest of the remaining Apulian production, expected to amount to 9 mln quintals.
Author: Mario Colapietra
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