The 2026 Harvest at Rallo

The harvest at Rallo began, as tradition dictates, with the picking of the white grapes: entirely by hand, with the bunches placed in small crates rather than large bins. It is a slower and more demanding method than mechanical harvesting, but it allows us to choose, bunch by bunch, only those in the best condition, preventing the berries from being crushed on the way to the winery and thus preserving the quality of the fruit.

This year the heat was particularly intense, and the vines felt it. Despite a wonderful winter that gave us good reason for optimism, temperatures rose exceptionally as harvest approached. In a year like this, the decision to pick by hand proved even more valuable: it allowed us to select only the best grapes, limiting the damage caused by the heat and bringing to the winery fruit that was as healthy and intact as possible.

It was not an easy harvest. Intense heat, widespread drops in yield and falling wine prices all came together, putting an entire sector under pressure. And yet, despite lower volumes and the difficulties linked to yield, the baseline health of the varieties typical of our land is excellent, and the grapes reached optimal ripeness: an important sign, which confirms our vineyards’ ability to respond to challenging climate conditions.

Some events made this vintage harder still. Although they did not touch us directly, they deeply upset us: a truck that overturned carrying the entire day’s harvest, and a serious road accident in contrada Quaranta Salme, between Alcamo and Grisi, lands close to us, practically home, which tragically involved two people. These events remind us how much the work in the fields, often silent and taken for granted, carries real risks.

In this sense, the state of the roads has long been a concrete obstacle for those who work the land, making travel difficult and access to our vineyards hard, even in an emergency. For this reason, we welcome with relief the news that the road has finally been repaired: a long-awaited intervention that restores safety and dignity to those who live and work in these countryside areas every day.

Once the white grape harvest was complete, we moved on to the red varieties, which are generally later-ripening and have different needs. Monitoring in the vineyard continued day after day, assessing each time the optimal moment to pick each plot based on ripeness, acidity and the health of the vines: work made of constant observation, where every day of waiting or anticipating can make a difference in the glass. The harvest ended on September 28.

Now we can draw up a complete assessment, with a clear picture of how the climate has affected the quantity and quality of the harvest, and which characteristics will define the 2026 vintage. We will continue to share with you not only the numbers, but also the challenges, the difficulties and the choices that, crate after crate, will shape the wine you will drink.