Author Albert Camus offered this poetic line on the magic of fall: “autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.” For the world’s vintners, however, the flowers of autumn are a vine’s plump, sugar-rich grapes for making wine. As the northern hemisphere transitions to harvest season, Alessio Planeta, a Board Member of Consorzio Sicilia Doc and Sicilia Doc Winemaker for Planeta Winery, shares his thoughts on this momentous time in the vineyard.
Alessio Planeta completed a master’s in agriculture before devoting himself to the study of Sicilian viticulture and its history. Spending time in various wine regions beyond Italy, he became immersed in the world of wine and brought wisdoms gleaned abroad back home. Today, he helps lead a collection of six boutique wineries in different parts of the island with family members Francesca and Santi. The trio forms the 17th generation of this 500-year wine family. The family’s commitment to Sicilian viticulture is evident in the work they do: they focus on the research and development of local and historical varieties and have worked to advance Sicilian wine tourism through the integration of the culture, cuisine, and art of Sicily.
What is the harvest season in Sicily like?
In Sicily, the harvest is a ritual that lasts more than one season. Harvest for the first grapes begin in August, such as Chardonnay in the Southwest, and for those who produce it, Pinot Grigio. The other whites follow in the Southeast such as Moscato, and harvest will go through the end of October in the Etna area. Sicily is one of the few regions where harvest begins during the summer, when people are still swimming at the beach, and ends in October, when Mount Etna is covered in snow on top: it’s really an extraordinary thing!
How is the 2021 vintage looking?
I don’t like to talk about the harvest before it is complete, but we are very close, and everything seems to be going well so far. We can only say that there hasn't been any drastic climate events, on the contrary, so far it has all been very positive. It has only rained a few times in Sicily, one in June and one in July in Western Sicily, which were a real blessing for the Sicilian viticulture. We are also glad that it has not been too hot. So far so good but, again, I think it is still too early to really talk about it.
Most consumers think of harvest as a period of joy and celebration, but fall weather events can imperil the fruit before it’s collected. Can you share some of those concerns in Sicily’s various regions?
We need to make a distinction between Southwestern, Eastern, and Central Sicily, the latter an area where our greatest fear (in my experience especially), is the excessive heat that could compromise the quantity and quality of the grapes.
In Northern Sicily, on the other hand, when harvesting in October, excess rain, and in some cases, even hail can be a problem, but these are very rare events. Also in Sicily, every now and then, there is the threat of the sirocco, a hot wind that brings high temperatures. Obviously, all of us winemakers are terrified of these particular occurrences, which we’ve begun to see more now with climate change. Fortunately for us, nothing bad has happened for now but…well...maybe it’s better to not talk about it and jinx it.
Speaking of climate change, have you noticed harvest dates changing or starting earlier or any other implications in the vineyard?
Regarding the beginning of the harvest, this may seem controversial, but I remember seeing even earlier harvests in the early 2000s. The last few years in Sicily were strangely more wet than in the previous twenty years, which perfectly encapsulates why it is never easy.
What we have noticed, however, is a shift towards more violent weather conditions that contribute to an increase of total annual rainfall. I haven’t noticed an early harvest, in fact, this year in Sicily we did not experience those terrible late spring cold days, which can be very dangerous for the vines.
Most talk of harvest focuses on the quality and picking of the grapes but what happens in the vineyard once the fruit comes off?
The period that follows the harvest is a crucial moment for viticulture. The plants prepare for the following year and rain is undoubtedly always welcome. It really makes us happy to see that rain starts towards the end of September or the beginning of October.
Sicily is obviously in the heart of Mediterranean Sea, so we never expect heavy rain, but the fall is usually a period in which weather “breaks.” In Sicily, we say "mid-August is the head of winter" which means that it is the beginning of winter; a phrase that refers to the fact that usually in mid-August, the rains begin.
What is the process like at Planeta’s wineries for picking fruit and transitioning to winemaking?
Speaking on behalf of my winery, we work in a very different way: some grapes are harvested in crates, others are harvested manually. In order to preserve the quality of the grapes, the vineyards are only a few feet from the cellars. The techniques we use in Sicily are the most diverse because this region, more than any other region, makes white, red, aromatic, concentrated, elegant wines. Sicily produces wines that are so different that it is not easy to standardize and talk about only one kind of production process. I would say that working in Sicily means working in a place with so many variables, and it is truly fantastic to be able to adapt a different technique to each wine.
Anything else you'd like to mention about the magic of autumn in the vineyard?
Because we work in five different sub-regions, harvest begins during the first ten days of August and finishes at the beginning of November. I believe a really beautiful thing about Sicily is the fact that you can harvest through two entire seasons, from the beginning of summer to the end of fall. The fall in Sicily is very different than in any other region. The landscape changes from the mountains to the woods. Autumn is great because you can really see the colors transform, from the leaves of the oak and chestnut trees to the leaves of the vines.
Planeta’s six wineries include Ulmo at Sambuca di Sicilia, Dispensa at Menfi, Dorilli at Vittoria, Buonivini at Noto, Sciara Nuova on Etna at Castiglione di Sicilia, and La Baronia at Capo Milazzo.
Planeta Estate also runs La Foresteria Menfi, a wine country resort near the beach in Menfi with a restaurant, pool and experiences like wine tastings, biking, trekking, and massage. In Palermo, Planeta Estate offers seven apartments in a historic palazzo. Book online.
