This year's wine harvest will be the earliest in 30 years, wine producers said Tuesday.
The exceptional heat which has hit Italy this year will force wine growers to anticipate their grape harvest by three weeks or so, according to the Italian Wine Union (UIV).
Grape-picking will begin four or five days earlier than 2003, another year when heat brought on a very early harvest, UIV said.
The overall quality is expected to be good, UIV said, although "2007 will be remembered as a year marked by strong attacks by pests".
As for quantity, it is expected to be about 5% lower than last year's 50 million hectolitres.
Tuesday's report largely confirmed the picture recently painted by the Confederation of Italian Farmers (Cia) - although Cia reckoned grape pickers would be out among the vines a full month earlier than usual.
This year's unusual weather is expected to produce an abundant harvest of quality grapes, Cia added.
The early harvest, Cia explained, will be necessary because of the hottest winter and spring on record, in over 200 years, followed by a heat wave in June.
The harvest of the so-called early grapes - Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Primitive - is now expected to begin in early August, the organisations agree.
August, rather than September, will also see the harvest of most of the wine crop, including Trebbiano, Sangiovese, Barbera and Merlot grapes.
The late-maturing grapes, which are usually picked towards the middle of October, are now expected to be picked some time in September.
These include the Aglianico, Nebbiolo, Cabernet and Raboso varieties.
Cia's forecast for quantity is at odds with that of UIV, however.
According to Cia, this year's harvest will be 3-4% more than last year.
The Veneto region is expected to once again produce the most wine in Italy, followed closely by Puglia, Sicily and Emilia Romagna.
The overall quality of this year's wine should be good and in some cases excellent, Cia observed, with alcohol levels higher than last year.
