Balkans: weather vagaries hit winemakers

The grape harvest in the Balkans started later than usual this year. Due to weather disasters last summer, the ripening dates of the bunches have moved to September. The quantity of berries and their quality also changed.

Thus, in Bulgaria, as a result of drought, the vine produced grapes with increased sugar content and reduced acidity, which is highly valued by wine producers. “This year the harvest will be smaller, but the quality of the grapes is excellent,” said the chairman of the National Chamber of Viticulture of Bulgaria, Yordan Chorbadzhiisky.

In neighboring Serbia, this summer was characterized by sharp temperature changes, as well as alternating rainy and hot periods. Local agronomists note that such a difficult year has not been observed in the last 10 years. As a result, grape yields in some areas decreased by 50%. Therefore, prices for wine varieties have increased significantly. For example, the famous Vranac variety is now trading at 30% higher than last year’s harvest. According to oenologists, this year’s wine will also be more expensive than usual, not only due to increased prices for raw materials, but also due to the expected high quality of the drink with a small production volume.