Carinthia’s wine and fruit harvests beat expectations

Frost in April caused less damage to fruit crops than feared, and winegrowers are also satisfied with the harvest so far, ORF reports. Results vary by region, while rising average temperatures could pose challenges for some varieties in future.

The Köstinger family in the Lavant Valley has about 70 tonnes of apples to process. Its on-farm press produces around 2,000 litres of cider or apple juice, depending on the variety. Hans Köstinger said this year’s temperature swings had put considerable strain on the trees. Heat above 30 degrees caused many apples to drop prematurely, but late rain helped offset some of the impact.

Some older apple varieties are particularly affected by changing conditions, Köstinger said. Cox Orange now begins to suffer relatively early, while the Boskop variety, once the latest to ripen, produces few apples. Kronprinz Rudolf has coped best, and this year’s crop of the older Schmidberger variety is in surprisingly good condition.

Winemakers are pleased despite varying effects from the April frosts. Hubert Vittori, cellar master at the Burg Taggenbrunn winery in St. Veit, said some regions could see harvest losses of up to 30 per cent. A lack of rain had raised concerns because moisture helps bring trace elements into the grapes and vines. Recent rain appears to have improved conditions, and grape quality remains excellent, he said. The wine harvest in Carinthia began two weeks ago.

The winery is working with Lakeside Park on a plan to combat frost next spring using a swarm of drones. The drones would stir the cold air over the slopes around Burg Taggenbrunn to prevent frost from forming.