Rainy weather has cast a shadow over Moravian winemakers who now face the threat of devastating fungal diseases. The current alternating pattern of rain showers and sunny days in South Moravia creates ideal conditions for these diseases to flourish. With harvest just weeks away, the potential damage could be catastrophic.
CHÂTEAU VALTICE, the largest wine grape producer in the Czech Republic, has sounded the alarm. “The abnormally humid environment is causing us concern. Our biggest fears are of powdery mildew, but downy mildew could also appear in the vineyards,” stated David Šťastný, the winery’s director. These two diseases, which spread in warm, humid weather, attack different parts of the vine – downy mildew damages leaves while powdery mildew destroys the grapes themselves.
Ondřej Dubas from the organic Krásná hora winery in Starý Poddvorov describes the visible signs: “When temperatures are higher during the day and it’s humid after rain, powdery mildew appears on the grapes. It has a white layer that looks like snow. Gradually, the fungus eats away at the berry until it bursts and turns black”. If not addressed promptly, this disease can devastate an entire harvest.
The situation is dire for some vineyards. “For three or four days, over 100 millimeters of rainfall hit the Hodonín region. Starting tomorrow, we must spray. We need to intervene to maintain the crop – otherwise, there would be nothing left,” explains Dubas. Jakub Zugárek from Vinařství Kovacs adds, “We visit the vineyards several times a day to monitor developments. Harvest is just around the corner – we plan to pick the first grapes for young wine on August 5”.
Wineries are fighting back with copper-based treatments to halt the diseases’ progression. The coming weeks will determine both quality and quantity of this year’s harvest, though meteorological forecasts aren’t promising. As Šťastný warns with a winemaker’s wisdom: “What August ruins on the grapes, September cannot repair”.