A few weeks ago, in a post about the approaching 2026 harvest, we talked about picking expected between late August and September. The weeks since have changed the picture: the drought and extreme heat that have marked this part of the summer are speeding up the ripening of the clusters in Villa Dianella’s vineyards, and the 2026 harvest is now shaping up to start earlier than originally planned.
It’s a course correction that comes with working the land: it isn’t the calendar that decides when to pick, it’s the grapes. And this year the grapes are speaking earlier than expected.
Why the harvest is coming early
The extreme heat and drought of recent weeks have a direct effect on the vines: less available water and consistently high temperatures speed up sugar accumulation in the berries and cause acidity to drop more quickly. It’s the same mechanism behind véraison, the change in colour of the clusters, but at a faster pace than in a normal summer.
The blue Pliocene clays that characterise Dianella’s vineyards have an extraordinary capacity to retain water, a precious resource that has allowed the vines to cope better with water stress than sandier soils. But even the best water reserve has its limits, and weeks of consecutive extreme heat still leave their mark on ripening times.
What changes for the harvest
Bringing the harvest forward doesn’t mean picking in a hurry or carelessly: it means watching the vineyards even more closely, day by day, so as not to be caught off guard the moment the grapes are ready. The work stays the same as always, just compressed into a tighter calendar.
In the first days of August, sampling in the vineyard has already begun: berries are taken plot by plot, sugar levels and acidity are measured, to follow the ripening process day after day and know precisely when the moment to pick has come.
The first grapes to be harvested remain those destined for the sparkling wine base, picked while acidity is still high and sugar levels more contained. With ripening accelerated by heat and drought, this first stage of the harvest could arrive in the coming days, earlier than initially expected. Next will come the other white grape varieties and finally Sangiovese, which gives life to Chianti Dianella, Il Matto and the estate’s other red wines.
Quality is not in question
A hot, dry summer concentrates sugars and can produce more structured wines, provided the vines don’t suffer excessive stress. At Villa Dianella, vineyard monitoring in these weeks is a daily task: ripening is checked berry by berry, the water status of the plants is assessed, and the decision on when to step in is made plot by plot. The goal remains the same as always: to bring healthy, well-ripened grapes into the cellar, capable of telling the story of the 2026 vintage in the glass.
The harvest, even when it arrives earlier than expected, remains largely done by hand for the best selections: picking by hand makes it possible to choose the right bunches and handle the grapes with the care they deserve.
Stay tuned
In the coming days, the situation in Villa Dianella’s vineyards could evolve quickly. We’ll keep sharing updates on the 2026 harvest as the picking calendar takes shape.
For information about Villa Dianella, you can contact the estate at +39 0571 508166, via WhatsApp, or by writing to info@villadianella.it.
Villa Dianella is located in Via Dianella 48, 50059 Vinci (FI), about 40 minutes from Florence and just a few minutes from Vinci.
