In Oltrepo Pavese, a winegrowing region in northern Italy, the harvest was in full swing in the final days of July, a first. "We started the harvest at the beginning of the week, on July 27 and 28, and that's a record. "In Oltrepo Pavese, like elsewhere in general, the harvest usually begins between August 10 and 15," Castellani told AFP. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementColdiretti forecasts the harvest for Sangiovese grapes, Italy's most common variety, could begin as early as mid-August in Tuscany. - Acutely arid conditions -In southern France, months of soaring temperatures have also presaged an early harvest.