2026 Harvest: a vintage shaped by the heat

The 2026 harvest at Villa Crine ended with grapes of particularly high quality, following a growing season characterised above all by drought and high temperatures.

The heat and limited water availability accompanied much of the season and accelerated the ripening of the grapes. These conditions affected the whole of Valpolicella and generally led to an earlier harvest compared with the average of recent years.

In our vineyards, we carefully monitored the development of each individual plot, choosing the right time to harvest according to the ripeness and characteristics of the grapes. The sunny, dry days of September provided ideal conditions for the harvest, allowing us to work steadily and bring healthy, high-quality grapes into the winery.

As every year, particular attention was given to the selection of grapes destined for appassimento, one of the key stages in the production of Amarone and Recioto. The excellent health of the bunches allowed this important phase to begin under the best possible conditions.

Today, the drying room is full and the appassimento process is well underway. The grapes are slowly resting in their crates, and the first weeks have shown very positive progress. Time, careful attention and continuous monitoring will still be necessary before we can fully assess the results of this vintage.

The 2026 vintage will certainly be remembered for its heat and limited rainfall, but also for grapes of outstanding quality. This is the raw material from which our work in the winery now begins, with the aim of carefully guiding its evolution and expressing the full potential of what this harvest has given us.