The year 2014 began promisingly. Warm temperatures in spring brought early flowering and budding of the vines. However, this was followed by prolonged rainfall and strong growth at relatively cool temperatures. There were hardly any prolonged dry spells throughout the summer. This resulted in some of the grapes bursting open, increasing the risk of fungal infection.

The threat of cherry vinegar flies and fungal diseases posed an additional challenge for winegrowers. However, with targeted interventions in the vineyard and a corresponding amount of effort and extra work, South Tyrol's winegrowers managed to get the problems under control.

Early-ripening varieties, which were harvested at the beginning of September, suffered particularly from the weather. The middle and higher altitudes benefited from the period of good weather from the end of September to the beginning of October.

Thanks to a labor-intensive harvest and significant yield losses, it was possible to deliver flawless and healthy grapes to the wineries.

However, the low harvest volumes are causing some headaches for everyone involved. Depending on the winery, location, and variety, harvest volumes are between 10 and 30 percent below the long-term average. A total of around 290,000 hectoliters of wine were produced in South Tyrol in 2014, which corresponds to a decline of 17% compared to the previous year.