2025 Harvest: the story of a promising vintage from the voices of 8 wineries symbolizing excellence

The opinions of Vallepicciola, Fontanafredda, Cà Rovere, Ampeleia, Montina, La Ponca, Le Monde and Cantina San Michele Appiano

The 2025 harvest opened with different rhythms from north to south, but with a single common denominator: optimism for a vintage that promises to be truly auspicious. This is the testimony of the winemakers from some of Italy’s leading wineries. From Chianti Classico with Vallepicciola to the Langhe with Fontanafredda, from Cà Rovere in the Berici Hills to Ampeleia in the Upper Maremma, from Montina in Franciacorta to the Friulian estates Le Monde and La Ponca, all the way to Alto Adige with Cantina San Michele Appiano.

“We began harvesting Pinot Nero for the sparkling version in the first weeks of August. The resulting must is truly excellent, with a pale pink color and a very intriguing aromatic profile even before fermentation begins. We therefore expect a 2025 Perlinetto of extraordinary quality,” says Alessandro Cellai, winemaker and general manager of Vallepicciola, a benchmark of Chianti Classico. “For now, 2025 is showing a slight delay of about 5–7 days compared to last year. Given the weather patterns from April to July, the vintage is to be considered, at least for now, one of the best in recent years.”

“Between the end of July and the first days of August, ripening saw a surprising acceleration: high temperatures, combined with decent soil moisture at the root level, created ideal conditions for plant development, slightly ahead of last year. This is how the 2025 harvest officially began on August 11,” says Giorgio Lavagna, winemaker at Fontanafredda. “The first clusters picked were those destined for our Alta Langa: Pinot Nero first, followed almost simultaneously by Chardonnay, a variety that ripened early this year. The grapes look very beautiful and healthy across all varieties, with good production from both a qualitative and quantitative standpoint.”

“This year’s harvest officially began on Monday, August 11, in line with the timing of the last 5 years,” declare Marco, Marcella and Matteo Biasin of Cà Rovere in Alonte (VI). “We are particularly satisfied with the harvest of grapes destined for the sparkling base. The Pinot Nero, the first to be harvested, showed excellent qualitative characteristics, followed by Chardonnay, which is also very interesting. We are still waiting for the full ripening of Garganega, our native grape variety. Current forecasts indicate the start of that harvest within the first two weeks of September. In short, it has been a demanding vintage, but thanks to careful and constant work in the vineyard, we have managed to bring home a harvest we can be proud of.”

“The harvest started on August 18 in the vineyards of La Pieve, in line with past years and, as always, starting with the Alicante Nero plots, which are the first to reach the right point of ripeness,” testifies Marco Tait, winemaker at Ampeleia. “The vintage as a whole has been substantially regular, with a progression that allowed the vines to follow their cycle in a balanced way. In particular, the vines from which we obtain our Bianco di Ampeleia, with Trebbiano in the lead, showed a beautiful balance; they gave me that feeling of serenity that makes me say ‘I can’t wait to taste it.’ Production, to date, is lower than the generous 2024 harvest but still within the average. Meanwhile, the harvest continues, and in these weeks you have to be on top of it: something changes every day and decisions are made step by step. It is the winemaker’s job to know how to read the moment and intervene pragmatically.”

“On August 19, the 38th harvest began at Montina, which, barring unforeseen weather events, promises to be a very auspicious vintage. The vineyards are in optimal health, with an ideal vegetative-productive balance: healthy grapes of high quality and with a good yield also on a quantitative level,” says Michele Bozza, president of Montina. “From a climatic point of view, the summer favored optimal ripening conditions, bringing the start of the harvest forward by three days compared to 2024. The balance between heat, freshness, and water availability guaranteed regular plant development—well-nourished and never under stress—with clusters showing higher-than-average sugar accumulation and excellent acidity levels. Ideal characteristics for the production of our Franciacorta wines.”

“In the vineyards of Le Monde and La Ponca, the 2025 harvest began on August 19, about a week earlier than last year,” explains Giovanni Ruzzene, winemaker for the Le Monde winery in Prata di Pordenone and La Ponca in Collio. “The vintage in general was characterized by a positive climatic trend in terms of temperature and rainfall. Especially in July, the rains led to a drop in temperatures with significant thermal excursions between day and night. All of this has certainly benefited our grapes, which will produce very fragrant wines with excellent acidity values.”

“The start of the harvest is expected in these very days at the beginning of September, about a week earlier than in 2024. The winter was mild, while June and July saw regular and well-distributed rainfall. August brought three weeks of intense heat and abundant sunshine, fundamental conditions for ripening. Currently, temperatures have dropped, with highs around 25°C in Appiano and cool nights: an ideal scenario, especially for white grape varieties,” explains Jakob Gasser, winemaker at Cantina San Michele Appiano. “The 2025 vintage in Appiano can be considered ideal. Thanks to the climate, Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, and Sauvignon have looser clusters than usual, a particularly positive trait. The green harvest was decisive in arriving prepared for this crucial moment. The flavor profile of the grapes appears very promising this year.”