Grape harvest becomes very early

Due to climate change, grapes are ripening earlier and need to be harvested quickly when their parameters for wine production are at their best. That is why in parts of this wine region, the harvest has already begun in early August.

"The winters have become milder, the beginning of the growing season is occurring earlier and the rainfall pattern is changing throughout the year. Because of all this, the grapes are ripening faster and forcing us to harvest early. The earliest harvests are on August 14th – this year and in 2018. Yields are lower this summer, but the quality of the grapes is good. The grape parameters are ideal for 'premium' wines with longer ripening potential, while this year's sparkling wines will be somewhat more complex and voluminous than last year," said Luka Košćak from the Košćak winery in Novi Marof.

"We had to start the harvest a few days ago in order to preserve the acids that are key to our wines. There are fewer grapes than last year, but the harvest is healthy and of high quality. The variety that is proving to be exceptionally good for us in these weather conditions is our indigenous Žuti Plavec. It is a variety that has large clusters and pronounced acids," said Nikola Šember from the Šember winery in Pavlovčani.

"We are waiting for the ripening of Pušipel and several domesticated international varieties. We are adapting to the new weather conditions with a series of agrotechnical measures, such as retaining moisture in the soil with humus and sowing grass in the vineyard. Part of our vineyard was damaged by hail, but the grapes that remained are beautiful and healthy. We are preparing the cellars for the harvest and expect to get the best out of the grapes," said David Štampar from the Štampar winery in Sveti Urban.

"In most vineyards, there was enough moisture in the soil. Young vineyards were the most at risk because the roots of young vine grafts penetrate the soil shallowly. These vineyards required additional water supply. The indigenous varieties for which Central Hilly Croatia is known cope well with climate change, but the market is also accustomed to the high quality of our wines from international varieties. Therefore, in the coming years, our winegrowers will have to resort to introducing additional agrotechnical measures in the vineyards. Harvests are moving towards the beginning of August, and September ones are becoming a thing of the past," said Miroslav Polovanec, president of the Bregovita Croatia Association of Winemakers and Winegrowers. After the harvest, the winegrowers of Bregovita Croatia are preparing for the fifth BregFest. This Bregovita Croatia wine festival will be held in Lauba, Zagreb, on Friday, October 23, 2026.

Photos: Ante Gudelj