Everything points to 2009 being a truly record harvest. First of all, the weather. Since the spring, the days have been sunny with good rainfall, occurring always at just the right moment and never for too long. This created the conditions for good growth on the vines that was kept under control by regular spur pruning. This was followed by the long, sunny days of summer and good variation in temperature during the night that permitted the vines to remain healthy; as a result, attacks from pathogens were limited and immediately blocked and removed. September arrived with fine weather and the hope that these meteorological conditions will continue through October when the late harvest varieties, such as Raboso Piave DOC, are picked. Sugar levels in the grapes are quite high and, if there is rain at the right moment, it could positively affect the yield of the grapes. In any case, overall, sugar levels are much higher than last year's. If the forecasts made at the beginning of September are actually born out, the 2009 harvest will be decidedly good and even excellent in some cases. Thanks to all this, Italy should once again occupy second place in the ranking of wine producing countries which is led by France (with the exception of 2008). In light of the reduced yield, quality is expected to be excellent, given that at the Moletto winery the production of its vines is kept constantly under control through thinning of the grapes. The abundant water reserves accumulated during the winter compensated for the heat and sun of the summer this year. Compared with 2008, this year's harvest began about ten days earlier, thanks to the sunny days which accelerated the ripening of the grapes. The deciding factor in moving up the harvest were the high temperatures in May following one of the longest and coldest winters in memory. The high temperatures in August continued through the first week of September, causing early ripening of the grapes, especially the early varieties. If weather conditions do not vary from those seen in the early part of September, with the temperature ranging from sunny days to cool nights, the accumulation of sugars, aromatic precursors and polyphenols could give grapes excellent quality potential with a more harmonic and complete maturation than in 2008. In order to lend support to the work of Mother Nature, the technological resources in the Moletto cellars have been activated. There, using state-of-the-art instruments, controlled temperature and sophisticated equipment, the aromas, bouquets and sugars are protected and safeguarded and, in just a few months, all their goodness will be released with the uncorking of the wine.