Harvest 2023
Summary
Dive into the challenges and triumphs of the Harvest Season 2023 at Dourakis Winery. Explore the unique insights, weather impact, and the essence of our vineyards in this in-depth Harvest Report.
Another year has come to an end with the grape harvest and the processing of grapes into wine. It was a year that we can describe as quite adventurous and challenging, marked by elements that give us a glimpse of what to expect in the near future in our region and throughout Greece, due to the climate crisis.
The cultivation period (March to May) began with lower temperatures for the season compared to the average of the last 19 years, resulting in a slow and positive growth for the plants. Subsequently, the high and continuous rainfall in the last fortnight of May and the beginning of June, in combination with the temperature, created ideal conditions for the spread of downy mildew almost all over Crete. To top it off, there were extremely high temperatures, starting at the end of June and lasting almost the entire month of July.
The above weather conditions created many problems, both in our privately-owned vineyards at Dourakis Winery and the vineyards of collaborators throughout Crete. As a result, we did lose a portion of the production. On the other hand, we observed better phenolic ripening in red varieties.
Harvest began on August 16th with some small vineyards, essentially continuing on August 30th with the Muscat of Spinas and Merlot varieties. The Mandilari variety was harvested at the close of September.
As a result of this year’s conditions, we can say that there was definitely a 30% loss in total production. The red wines are expected to be quite aromatic, with intense color, ripe phenolics, offering a rounded taste and excellent aging potential.
White wines tend to show the character of the vineyard and their specific location, with some wines having intense aromas and high acidity, while others have moderate aromatic intensity and acidity.
