MOSCOW, August 3 Key Russian regions that produce the bulk of raw materials for inexpensive wines have not suffered significantly from the heat; in general, a significant reduction in yields in large wine-producing regions was avoided thanks to rains in the winter and spring, but in some farms, losses may be at the level of 20-30%, Roskachestvo reported.
«The key regions of Russia in terms of grape harvesting, which produce the bulk of raw materials for inexpensive wines, have not suffered significantly from the heat. Irrigation systems and mechanized grape harvesting will reduce the impact of the hot season on the quality of grapes. The situation in the vast territory of Russian viticulture — from Volgograd to Derbent — is significantly different. Where the heat was followed by rain, the harvest may be high in quality, despite some reduction in volume,» they reported there. 
According to Olesya Latysheva, Director of the Department of Research and Promotion of Domestic Wine Products at Roskachestvo, in general, there is a gradual shift in harvesting dates to earlier periods. For example, for the largest wine-growing region, Kuban, it was typical to harvest grapes for sparkling wines in the last ten days of August, white varieties for still wine were harvested in early September, the dates have shifted by 7-10 days.
«But even against this background, this year's harvest is unusually early. The situation varies greatly from region to region, but for some varieties the timing has shifted by more than two decades,» Latysheva clarified. At the same time, the main reason for the early harvest is a weather anomaly. For example, in the Rostov Region, in a number of farms, the temperature in July rose above 50 degrees on the soil. But in the southernmost region of Russian winemaking — in the Derbent area — the situation with temperature and precipitation was comparatively milder than on the Don.
At the same time, the Yuzhnaya agrofirm, the largest viticultural enterprise in the country, does not expect a significant decrease in yield due to the early harvest, although most grape varieties may ripen as early as August.
Latysheva, in turn, emphasized that the speed of harvesting is a key issue for the quality of future wine, since in the hot season, grapes accumulate sugars very quickly and lose acidity. And in the finished wine, this is fraught with a high level of alcohol and an insufficiently fresh, voluminous taste.
«The heat and high sugar levels can affect white wines to a greater extent. However, each year is unique, and winemakers say that a significant reduction in yields in large regions — in Kuban and Dagestan — was avoided thanks to rains in the winter and spring, which created a moisture reserve in the soil. … We do not expect a significant reduction in yields in the country as a whole, although in some farms losses may be at the level of 20-30%, but they are largely associated with spring frosts in the northern regions,» she concluded.