This year, the winegrowing families of Klet Brda will in total produce 6,300 tons of grapes, which is 15% less than the expected annual crop of 7,500 tons. More affected were the exposed sites on top of the hills, where the loss of crop will amount to 30%, while the loses on the lower sites will not be as severe. The harvest of 2022 promises red wines of high quality.

This year’s summer was dry and hot. At the beginning of the harvest, which took place earlier, this year, the agronomists made concerning predictions about crop quantity due to the long drought we had experienced. Because we carefully monitor parameters in all our vineyards, we waited for the grapes to be adequately ripe. This together with the rain in September and our compliance with the principles of sustainable production in the vineyards has somewhat mitigated the consequences of this year’s long drought.

HARVEST

At Klet Brda, we started this year’s harvest for base wines for sparkling wines on 18^th August 2022, while regular harvest started on 26^th August 2022 and will end next week, when we will harvest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Following a hot and dry summer, harvest in Brda started earlier this year. Unlike usually, when regular harvest takes place in the beginning of September, we started regular harvest in the last week of August.

PRICES

This year, buying-in prices of grapes will be higher by a quarter. The pricelist includes several changes. The buying-in prices were increased by 25% and the difference between average and premium quality has increased as well.

The average buying-in price for a kilogram of grapes will amount to approximately EUR 0.70 for our standard program and EUR 0.95 for our premium program. Prices for a kilogram of grapes will range between EUR 0.40 and EUR 1.35. Grapes from the best sites, which reflect not only general parameters, but special vineyard characteristics as well, will have a price of EUR 2.00 or higher.

Klet Brda has collaborated with selected winegrowers and partners as well as companies Telekom Slovenia and EFOS to introduce a pilot project for remote monitoring of pests in vineyards. In the framework of this project, we are testing a solution, which would enable winegrowers to remotely monitor the status of pests in their vineyards and receive a prediction of their movement 14 days in advance. This would allow them to take timely precautions and protect their vineyards before any damage occurred. Winegrowers could optimise the use of pesticides and only spray their vineyards where and when the pests are present. This would contribute to a significant reduction in use of plant protection products and a more sustainable production. You can learn more about this project in the enclosed material.

Usually, regular harvest would start in the beginning of September, this year, however, it will begin in the last week of August. This was caused by extreme weather conditions, which manifested in dry spring followed by dry and hot summer. Although vine is relatively resistant to drought, these extreme conditions have affected it, nonetheless.
In such extreme circumstances, we can truly see the significance of sustainable production and adequate allocation of vineyards. Sustainably cultivated and properly tended vineyards situated on right sites, where soil was prepared with an adequate amount of organic matter, have better withstood this year’s drought, and will suffer less loss and provide grapes of better quality.
We are faced with a harvest like no other before. We expect that this year’s vintage will be significantly smaller in quantity. The family vineyards of Klet Brda will bring in 4,000 tons of grapes, which is over half of the normal annual amount. The quality of the 2022 vintage looks promising, however, the weather during the harvest may still affect it. This year’s buying in prices will be higher by a quarter.

We stared harvesting grapes for base wines of sparkling wines of Pinot Noir on 18th August 2022 and then moved on to Chardonnay for sparkling wines. Our regular harvest is to start on 25th August. At Klet Brda, most of the harvest is expected to conclude by the end of September, however, late varieties and some other specialities will stay in the vineyards until the beginning of October. Although we are usually happy to have a dry fall in the vineyards, this year, some rain would be greatly appreciated, as it could still help late varieties recover.
At Klet Brda, we are convinced that visits from business partners are one of the most important marketing leverages that an export oriented Slovenian company can have, as the reality of winegrowers from Brda, who cultivate their vineyards on steep slopes, is inconceivable for many foreigners. It is only after they experience our harvest first hand and feel the pulse of the locals, that they can truly appreciate our wines. With that insight, they can present and sell our wines in their countries even more successfully.
From 2nd to 6th September, we will host a group of distributors from the United States and after that exporters from Poland, Serbia, and Italy. In October, we are expecting a visit from a group of buyers from Great Britain. In fact, we have especially high expectations for the later visit since Great Britain has proved to be one of the fastest growing markets in the recent years.

Coming back after a two-year break, this year’s Heroes of the Vineyards cycling marathon took place on Saturday, 4^th June 2022. By organising this event, Klet Brda helps to promote Brda and the Cherry Festival among cycling enthusiasts and other visitors. Like in the previous years, the participants of this year’s marathon cycled to Brda for a good cause, as part of the money from the entry fees will be dedicated to rehabilitation of individuals who suffer from late onset of blindness or visual impairment on a personal level, which is carried out by the intermunicipal association of the blind and visually impaired of Nova Gorica.

The 108 km long recreational marathon started at 8:30 am in Ljubljana and continued through Vrhnika, Logatec, and over Črni vrh. After a stop in Ajdovščina, at Fructal, the cyclists continued their ride towards Nova Gorica and over Sabotin to Brda, crossing the finish line at the organiser’s headquarters in Dobrovo at 13:30 pm.

This year, 765 cyclists from all over Slovenia attended the marathon. At the finish line, Klet Brda awards special prizes to the oldest and the youngest participant, as well as to the largest family or club attending the marathon. The largest club this year was the Omega Air cycling club, followed by the Brda cycling club, the Mahle cycling club, and Meblo Jogi cycling club.