August in the Langhe, amid ripening grapes, work in the vineyard and words from the Piedmontese dialect that tell the story of summer.
Every harvest has its own character. Some vintages require patience, others invite us to wait, and then there are those that seem to be in a hurry to arrive. Walking through our vineyards in Madonna di Como and around La Morra, we have the feeling that 2026 belongs firmly in this last category.
The bunches are changing colour, grape ripening is entering a crucial phase and every single day can influence the timing of the harvest. This year, the pace seems particularly fast, leading us towards a September that may begin earlier than expected. Between observations in the vineyard, canopy management and preparations for the harvest, we are also continuing our journey through the words of the Piedmontese dialect. Words that capture summer in the Langhe, village festivals and the rural way of life that we rediscover, harvest after harvest, inside every bottle.
August 2026 in the Langhe: a vintage moving at a fast pace
The spring of 2026 brought abundant rainfall, leaving a valuable reserve of water in the soil. Then the intense heat, which arrived as early as the end of May, accelerated the various stages of the growing cycle: from budding and flowering to the ripening of the bunches.
Today, we are observing grapes that are developing rapidly. If conditions remain stable, the 2026 harvest in our vineyards may begin earlier than in more typical vintages. However, this is not a matter of following a fixed date on the calendar. Every vineyard plot, exposure and grape variety has its own timing, and the right moment is determined through careful observation and tasting. During this period, we monitor the health of the bunches, the balance between sugar and acidity, and the ripening of the skins and seeds. These elements help us understand not only when to harvest, but also the profile that the wine may ultimately express.
When does the harvest begin in the Langhe?
The most accurate answer is: it depends. In the Langhe, harvesting does not begin on the same day for every grape variety. Earlier-ripening varieties and white grapes may be picked first, while later-ripening varieties such as Nebbiolo generally require more time.
In a warm and early vintage, the schedule may become shorter. This is why, throughout August, winegrowers observe the bunches every day, follow the changing weather conditions and carry out ripeness tests. The harvest begins when the grapes have achieved the best possible balance for the style of wine being produced, not simply when the must meter shows a sufficient reading.
Work in the vineyard in August: protecting the grapes and preparing for the harvest
When nature accelerates, our work must change too. We cannot stop the sun, but we can guide the vines through careful and measured interventions. One of the most important tasks in the vineyard during August is canopy management. Leaves are not merely the engine of photosynthesis: on the hottest days, they also provide natural protection for the bunches. They create shade, reduce the risk of sunburn and help the plant maintain its balance.
For this reason, every intervention must be carefully assessed. Removing too many leaves can expose the grapes to direct sunlight, while leaving too many can restrict air circulation. Our goal is to find the right balance between protection, ventilation and even ripening.
In August, we mainly focus on:
- monitoring grape ripening;
- observing the health of the bunches;
- canopy management and protection against sunburn;
- checking the balance between sugar, acidity and phenolic ripeness;
- organising the timing and order of harvesting;
- preparing the winery for the arrival of the grapes.
These are small actions, often invisible to those looking at the vineyard from a distance, but they are crucial for preserving freshness, aromas and elegance. Because wine begins to take shape long before the harvest.
What kind of wines can we expect from the 2026 harvest?
It is still too early to give a definitive answer. Every vintage continues to surprise us until the final bunch is picked, and a wine only truly reveals its character after entering the winery.
The first impressions, however, are beginning to take shape. If the weather remains stable, we may produce well-structured wines with significant phenolic ripeness, silky tannins and intense aromas of ripe fruit and spices. Barbera may offer a rounder, more enveloping palate, supported by slightly softer acidity. For the white wines, on the other hand, the challenge will be to preserve freshness, elegance and aromatic tension. In this case, the timing of the harvest will be even more important: just a few days can make all the difference. Our task is to interpret the vintage without forcing it.
To follow the vine, understand its timing and choose the moment when each grape variety can best express its character.
Bisturna: the Piedmontese word for an unpredictable summer
August is not made up solely of inspections, waiting and preparations. In the countryside of the Langhe, it is a month with two different souls.
During the day, the sun warms the earth, hands never stop working and every winegrower watches the sky with the subtle concern that accompanies the most unpredictable seasons. This year, one word from our dialect often comes to mind: bisturna.
Bisturna has no perfect English translation: it describes something strange, unusual, unpredictable or outside the norm. It is a word that seems perfectly suited to describing the summer of 2026, with the vines starting early and the grapes ripening quickly towards the harvest.
This is precisely the strength of the Piedmontese dialect: it can capture a complex feeling, a personality or an entire story in just a few syllables.
Balòt and tachgnèise: August among fields and jams
When the sun sets behind the hills, the air becomes cooler and August in the Langhe takes on a different character. In the fields, the balòt, large round bales of hay, appear across the landscape after the harvest.
The balòt tell the story of summer’s hard work and the wisdom of a rural world accustomed to preparing for winter. They are familiar figures in the landscape, almost like punctuation marks among meadows, vineyard rows and country roads. August is also the season for preserves. Kitchens fill with the fragrance of peaches, plums and apricots, while sugar slowly simmers in pots. By the end, fingers and spoons inevitably become tachgnèise.
This word describes something extremely sticky: the sugar left on your hands, the spoon sticking to the pot, but also, affectionately, those people who simply never leave your side. Once again, the dialect begins with a concrete image and transforms it into an amusing way of describing relationships.
Village festivals, bal a palchet and the joy of being together
In the Langhe, August is also the month of patron saint festivals. As children, we eagerly awaited the pé ’ntel cu, the colourful Piedmontese name for chair-o-plane rides.
Not far away, the bal a palchet, the traditional wooden dance platform, would be assembled. Here, entire generations learned to dance traditional ballroom dances, met and fell in love, spending endless summer evenings surrounded by music and laughter. A few days ago, we asked our mother whether any of them still exist. She smiled. Perhaps not, or perhaps the bal a palchet now survive mainly in people’s memories. And yet, simply saying their name is enough to see the lights again and hear the music, imagining the whole village gathered around that platform.
The ribota: when the celebration continues around the table
A celebration in the Langhe does not end when the music stops. That is precisely when the ribota may begin.
The ribota is the moment when everyone continues spending time together, often improvising a shared meal around the table. A salami sliced at the last minute, a piece of toma cheese, a few bottles of wine opened and the desire to make the evening last just a little longer. Someone might even end up a little ciuca, or tipsy, as we say in Piedmont. It happens and is part of the celebration, provided that the pleasure of wine always remains connected to sharing and responsibility.
The ribota perfectly expresses the character of our land: spontaneous and informal conviviality, where food and wine become an excuse not to say goodbye too soon.
In our wine, we preserve the work, words and memories of the Langhe
Every bottle we produce tells the story of far more than a climatic vintage. It tells of the work among the vineyard rows, the decisions made day after day, the heat of August and the anticipation of the harvest. It also tells of the words of our Piedmontese dialect, the balòt in the fields, the tachgnèise jams, the fairground rides, the bal a palchet and the ribote that continue long after the music has ended.
After all, in Piedmont, even before being a product, wine is a form of memory. It is the way a territory preserves its landscape, its traditions and the voices of the people who have lived there.