This makes it very difficult for folks that are passionate about agriculture to access land and have the resources to make a good product.
Since this region is steeped in agricultural traditions people often speak about the seasons through the phases of wine production and fruit and nut harvests. Summer arrives when the florescent greens of the grapes first appear while winter is marked by severely pruning. With the companion crops - hazelnuts in the Langhe and fruit orchards in the Roero - time is measured by harvest dates. These dates are changing because of climate change. Piemonte is becoming warmer which means that the vendemmia (date of the wine harvest) is creeping from mid-October into September. There are also concerns with summer storms. While rain is good for the plants, stronger weather events mean that there is the possibility of hail or drought during the summer which destroys the fragile blossoms and buds on hazelnut tree, grape vines, and fruit trees. Unpredictable climate reshapes the cyclical lives of growers, migrant workers, and vinters (people who transform and age wine) who rely on the harvest.
