The unprecedented dry spell of the last year has led to the loss of more than a third of indigenous grape vines used to produce local wine, according to the largest winemakers on the island. Marsovin CEO Jeremy Cassar said the dry weather had led to the loss of 35 per cent of vines, and a wine yield up to 25 per cent lower than last year. Total rainfall scraped a record low only 265 millimetres since last September, a third of which fell in October, compared to some 550mm the previous year. A very mild winter and strong, warm winds in April and May exacerbated the situation. "There is a tremendous threat coming from weather reports this year," Mr Cassar said at a press conference this morning. "The drought has had significantly negative impact on vine health, and consequentially on the amount of grapes harvested." Most winemakers nevertheless managed to stem the damage dealt due to solid vineyard practices and a special emphasis on precise irrigation and fertiliser management, according to Mr Cassar. However the lack of good quality irrigation water around the island meant that vineyards located in Mġarr, a stronghold of the traditional indigenous Girgentina and Ġellewża, are...
from timesofmalta.com http://ift.tt/2bRpOhb
via
IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment