In the Ceraukste municipality of Bauska, grape grower Gatis Kužums grows around 500 different grape varieties on a hectare of land in the field and greenhouses. People also come to Kužums to buy grape seedlings, including large farms from neighbouring countries. On average, five to seven tonnes of grapes are harvested each year, and this year's harvest is quite good and next year will be even better, the grower predicted.
"The season is good, if it weren't for the humidity, but overall it is a good season and a long, long summer. The sugar level is now also rising in all the grapes, but next year will be even better because the weather is good and the clusters are budding, so next year will be a rich year," said Kužums.
Kužums said that while diseases have not significantly affected the grape harvest this year and there are hardly any wasps, raccoon dogs still eat some of the berries from the field every year and unpredictable hail is a challenge in summer.
Meanwhile, Ainārs Vanags, the owner of Līgatne Winery, spoke about the grape harvest, but noted a different situation, as Vidzeme was hit by severe frosts in spring and his grape field froze solid. Some of the grapes have already been harvested and some varieties are still ripening, but he estimated that only 20% of the full crop would be harvested this year.
Richards Ivanovs, Head of the Latvian Society of Grape Growers and Winemakers, also pointed out that this spring, farms in Vidzeme generally suffered from cold nights in May, while in Kurzeme and Zemgale conditions were more favourable and this year's warm summer has produced a good harvest.
"Overall, it looks like a good year and harvests by variety are earlier than usual. Overall, the market also looks to be growing slightly, as a little more grapes are planted each year. It looks like there are a lot of people who are in the early stages of trying, because you have to realise that Latvia is not a traditional grape country, and you have to try in each place what varieties go and how the gardener himself manages the garden, how he can tidy it up, what technologies he can use. Then, slowly, grape growing develops, both for the table and for wine. First we have to fill our market and then we will probably talk about exports," Ivanovs noted.
This Saturday, the Baltic Grape Fair will take place in the courtyard of Bauska Castle, bringing together the largest domestic growers as well as growers from Lithuania and Estonia.