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Italy: Table grape season starts at Giuseppe Guastella

On 18th May, 2012 the harvest of first volumes of table grapes - Victoria (white with seeds) and Black Magic (black with seeds) - started at the Sicilian company Giuseppe Guastella and in other companies on the Sicilian west coast.


Victoria table grape boxes.

Compared to 2010, this year a delay of 4 days is recorded. The grapes have excellent quality, with well developed, uniform, excellent colour and sugar content. This is obtained in greenhouses with metal structures and without artificial heating, but only with polyethylene sheeting which cause a rise in temperature inside the greenhouses and an advance in the phenological periods of germination, flowering and ripening.

 
One of the greenhouses with metal structures and without artificial heating at the Sicilian company 'Giuseppe Guastella', where Victoria and Black Magic early grapes are harvested.

Early crops
The harvest and sale period of early grapes is between May and end July: supply is limited, sale prices are high but yield per plant is limited to allow the early ripeness of the grapes. the consumer is less demanding on grape quality and in particular on sugar content.


Packaging on field of Black Magic with seeds. This variety has also uniform colour and high quality.

Medium and late crops
In this case the harvest occurs between August and December. This is the period with the highest grape supply on Italian and European markets. Prices are thus lower. The grower obtains high yield and perfectly ripe grapes. Production costs are higher. Grapes of different varieties have the greatest sugar content, aroma and sweetness.


Victoria vineyard.

Very early crops sold from mid May come from the Sicilian greenhouses. Later grapes from Sicily, Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata and Sardinia, cultivated with polyethylene sheeting covers, are harvested.

 
Giuseppe Guastella, grape grower in one of his table grape vineyards.

For more information:
Azienda Agricola Guastella Giuseppe
Mobile: +39 338 5297536
Email: angeloguas@libero.it
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