The 2022 vintage was characterized by a harvest with lower yields, late frosts and hail storms in various areas of the country, but with excellent quality grapesagreed different representatives of the Argentine wine sector.
In its latest harvest estimate, the National Viticulture Institute (INV) had predicted that grape production in Argentina for this 2022 vintage would be 13% below the previous harvest (19,449,000 quintals, below the 22,229,011 quintals of the 2021 harvest).
According to the harvest report corresponding to week 20, up to April 17, the 2022 harvest amounted to 1,863,990,995 kilos (18,639,909 quintals), against the 2,122,091,558 kilos (21,220,915 quintals) that had been harvested on a similar date to the previous harvest.
The drop in production is even higher (16.4%) when compared to the historical average, which covers from 2012 to 2021, of 23,262,116 quintalshad added the INV at the time.
This decrease in production would be due to the late frosts during the first week of October 2021 and to the different hail storms produced between December and February 2022, the agency explained in its report.
Nevertheless, from the wine sector contrast the excellent quality of the grapes obtained in this harvest with the drop in production.
Opinion of winemakers
In this sense, in dialogue with Télam, the renowned French winemaker michel rollandfrom Clos de los Siete, estimated that this harvest will be “very good, excellent”, although he regretted that the drop in yields reaches 30%.
While, Mark Fernandezwinemaker at Terrazas de los Andes, considered that “the 2022 vintage will surely be unique, exceptional and recognized worldwide”, despite the fact that “on March 30 we had a frost, for the first time in history on such an early date”.
From the Northwest, the winemaker of Bodega El Esteco, Alexander Peppawas confident that “it will be one of the best seasons”, particularly in the vineyards of Chañar Punco, Catamarca, which are located at more than 2,000 meters above sea level, an altitude that -added to a cooler summer- slowed down the ripening of the grapes. grapes.
For Micaela Sosawinemaker at Bodega Jorge Rubio, in General Alvear, Mendoza, “the expectations are very good” because the grapes from this harvest have a “very good health status” despite the fact that, compared to the last harvest, a little later.
For his part, the winemaker from Trivento, German di Cesarerecalled that “the quality and health with which the grapes have entered the winery is really excellent.”
From the Bodega Vinorum of the Altieri Family, the winemaker Victoria Prandina He explained that despite the fact that “some days were rainy and with episodes of hail, we hope to have a harvest with excellent quality and moderate yields.”
Philip Stahlschmidtwinemaker of the Familia Millán group of wineries, Los Toneles, Mosquita Muerta and Fuego Blanco in San Juan, was “very happy with the quality obtained” and considered that it will be “a successful harvest”, despite some “minor frosts during the spring, some hail on the farms in eastern Mendoza and the rains during maturity”.
For its part, Thibault Lepoutrewinemaker at Bodega Piedra Negra, agreed in describing the quality of the 2022 harvest as “super interesting”, although he warned that “production has been quite low”.
From Zuccardi Valle de Ucoat the end of the 2022 harvest, pointed out that “it has been a great vintage, perhaps one of the best we have made, but time will tell.”
And, from the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Tourism (CIAT) of Tunuyán, its president diego stortini He also calculated losses at an average of 30%, although “the quality of the harvest is estimated to be very good.”
