For our vineyards, the just-concluded period is the most crucial time of the year: the ripe grapes have been harvested and are getting ready to be transformed into the new vintage of Bava wines.
We have thus celebrated the end of the harvest: a moment in which, every year, our past comes alive, and our future takes shape.
Theory, technique, and experience meet every year in this crucial phase for the excellent quality of the wines we will find in the glass.
Harvest 2023 in Monferrato and Langhe: the first impressions
Thanks to the experience, knowledge, and techniques passed down over these 112 years, we have concluded this harvest with satisfaction despite a very challenging season.
In particular, the climate posed some concern: a spring with very little rain followed by a fresh June with occasional rain. The summer was scorching and dry, and there were even some thunderstorms with hail.
Fortunately, the situation balanced with the rains that soaked our land at the end of August. The following months were characterized by a lingering late summer, stretching through September and the beginning of October. While this affected the yield quantitatively, we managed to harvest beautiful grapes that have already demonstrated excellent quality.
This is also confirmed by what Simone, the vineyard manager of the Pianoalto farm, says: “Even though hailstorms hit the vineyards in Agliano during the summer, this harvest is excellent. It’s the result of teamwork, choices, and methods adopted to obtain an excellent product in any condition.”
Harvest in Monferrato: then and now
Even today, the atmosphere that permeates the vineyards during the harvest is one of celebration, just as it was 70 years ago, as described in the memories of Piero Bava:
“In those times, every family owned a few hectares of land from which they derived their sustenance; they produced cereals, raised livestock for fieldwork, produced milk for consumption, and made cheeses and wines to sell.
The family was self-sufficient for all the work in the fields, but the harvest was different: it was an event where friends and relatives were also invited to spend a few days together amid nature.
Children also participated, happily running among the rows and picking the most beautiful clusters. The evening was dedicated to stomping the grapes by crushing them with their feet in the vats, which was also fun for the kids. The cooks prepared dinner with traditional seasonal recipes using local products.”
While the enthusiasm remains the same, some things have changed over time: “Once, the farmer, walking among the rows, would taste a grape here and there and decide when to harvest. Today, to determine the right time to pick the grapes, tests are conducted to identify the exact point of ripeness, ensuring that all grape components are fully developed.”
The techniques and tools may change, but the care, dedication, and passion we put into our work, from the harvest to the labelling of the bottles, have remained the same for 112 years.
So, the past and the present coexist in our wines. In our Cocconato cellar, they will be the mementoes of a bygone era, and the rooms with the fermentation tanks where the wines of tomorrow rest will complete the story.
You can explore the differences, peculiarities, and curiosities that characterize Bava wines by choosing from various tasting options to enhance your visit.