From floods to drought: Mixed weather hampers Italian vineyards

A mix of conditions in Italy which has seen flood-hit regions transfer into drought may have a significant impact on vineyards in some regions.

Heavy rainfall in spring resulted followed by hot, dry weather over in recent weeks has combined to produce a development of plasmopara viticola fungus on vine leaves.

The fungus results in a condition known as grape downy mildew and could potentially see a 12% loss of the season's grape harvest, particularly in central Italy, according to wine lobbies and the agricultural institute ISMEA.

Should this happen, Italy would fall behind France as the world's top wine producer. The fungus issue is particularly prevalent in the Abruzzo, Pegulia, and Molise regions along the Adriatic coast.

These regions have already seen a drop in output due to the humid conditions which have allowed the fungus to thrive. Abruzzo has seen a 40% loss of harvest, while Molise is down by 45% compared to last year.

Meanwhile, good weather in France has helped prevent a spread of similar issues, with the year's harvest expected to drop by just 2% year-on-year.

The Italian government has allocated a fund of €1 million for farmers affected by the problem. An issue which may become more common in years to come.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation say that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent due to climate change and that contingency plans are needed for farmers to cope with the shift in climatic conditions.

Italy has witnessed a fair share of extreme weather events this year, with drought in February seeing the level of Lake Garda drop substantially, revealing a long-lost walking path across the lake. Meanwhile, in August, torrential rainfall resulted in flooding.