Workers in Italy's Franciacorta region are picking grapes by floodlight at 4 a.m., racing against temperatures that have shattered harvest records and forced the wine industry to fundamentally reorganize how it operates. The oldest producer of Franciacorta sparkling wine, Berlucchi, began harvesting on Aug. 2—a full 10 days earlier than last year and about a month earlier than it did three decades ago. That acceleration reveals something far larger than a single vintage: climate change is narrowing the window for harvesting wine grapes, forcing winemakers to make decisions in what one industry leader called "delicate, frantic moments" where even a few days can mean the difference between a good vintage and a bad one.
Weeks of temperatures reaching 37 to 38 degrees Celsius (99 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit), combined with below-average rainfall, have pushed some winemakers in Franciacorta to record the earliest start on record. "We did not expect such an early harvest or such an acceleration in ripening," said Berlucchi CEO Arturo Ziliani. The company, which produces about 4 million bottles annually—roughly 20 percent of the Franciacorta consortium's total production of about 20 million bottles—now operates up to 24 presses a day, often late into the night, to process the unusually early harvest.
The Science Behind the Crisis
Several factors combined to push this year's harvest so early. A relatively mild winter meant the vines produced buds earlier. Hailstorms damaged some of the yield, lightening the fruit and bringing it to earlier maturation. Even in late July, Berlucchi was targeting an Aug. 10 harvest date, but it quickly became clear that Pinot Nero used for sparkling blends and rosé was ready to be picked, signaled by rapidly rising sugar levels. Within two days, workers were mustered and the presses were readied.
The calculation is most complex for makers of Champagne-style sparkling wines, which require a delicate balance of much higher fixed acidity, much lower pH and lower sugars than still reds and whites. "Early-ripening varieties such as Chardonnay require great care, because a delay of just a couple of days can leave you with grapes unsuitable for sparkling wine. Sugar rises too quickly and acidity falls too quickly," said Attilio Scienza, a professor emeritus at the University of Milan. Ferdinando Dell'aquila, Berlucchi's technical director and oenologist, emphasized the stakes: "The grapes are perfectly healthy. We just have to work as quickly as possible, harvest them and preserve their acidity."
Labor and Adaptation Under Extreme Conditions
The midday heat has been so extreme that workers are forced by regional labor rules to stop between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., but winemakers say it has been too hot for the afternoon shift. To gain time and bring grapes to the presses before they are overheated, Berlucchi started the harvest at 4 a.m., with workers picking under the blaze of floodlights. High outdoor temperatures require the grapes to be cooled before being gently pressed in stainless steel machines to extract the highest quality free-run juice—a crucial step in sparkling wine production that cannot be rushed.
It's not just Franciacorta that's starting early. Sicily began the wine harvest for still wines in late July. Small parts of Tuscany also started picking, as well as most sparkling wine regions. The pattern reflects a broader shift across Europe. "Climate change and the African weather systems settling over Europe are bringing extraordinary temperatures and forcing early picking, not only in Italy, but also in France and Germany," said Paolo Castelletti, secretary general of the Italian Wine Union trade organization.
What Comes Next
With earlier harvests becoming a trend, winemakers say they'll have to begin monitoring the fields even earlier to make sure they don't miss the best harvesting moment. "A good oenologist can manage situations like this. I can say with confidence that wine quality is not compromised. It simply requires a different organization of work than in past years," Castelletti said. About 90 percent of Franciacorta is sold in Italy, with the remainder exported to markets including Germany, Switzerland, the United States and Japan—meaning these disruptions ripple through global supply chains.
The industry's ability to adapt masks a deeper reality: workers are bearing the brunt of climate disruption through intensified labor schedules and heat exposure, while the economic burden of reorganizing production falls on businesses already operating within thin margins. Regional labor protections exist, but they're being tested by conditions that make even "permitted" work hours dangerous. The question isn't whether winemakers can survive this harvest. It's whether, as these conditions become permanent rather than exceptional, the economic model and labor practices that sustained the industry for generations can endure.
Why This Matters:
Climate change isn't an abstract threat to Italy's wine industry—it's a present reality reshaping how work gets done and who bears the costs. Workers are being mobilized for pre-dawn shifts under floodlights to preserve grape quality, while regional labor protections designed for normal conditions prove inadequate for extreme heat. The industry's adaptation demonstrates both resilience and fragility: businesses can reorganize production in the short term, but the long-term viability of regions famous for specific wines depends on climate stability that's no longer guaranteed. For consumers, this means the wines they've relied on for generations are becoming harder to produce and potentially more expensive. For workers and communities in wine regions across Europe, it signals that climate disruption isn't coming—it's already here, forcing immediate choices about labor, production, and survival.