With excellent forecasts to obtain high quality grape bunches, both Denominations of Origin They have already started with this season's harvest. Here we tell you how the start of the first vines of the two wine regions has been. The DO Rueda follow next to DO Navarre the steps that we already told you about vintage 2019 also started in most Spanish vine areas.
DO Rueda
La Denomination of Origin Rueda has started tonight the vintage 2019 with variety Sauvignon Blanc. This variety has a shorter vegetative cycle than the rest of the varieties and it matures earlier. Over the next few weeks the harvest will become general. both to the wineries and to the rest of the varieties. Variety Verdejo, native to the area, will begin the second week of September.
The area registered for this harvest is 18.020,59 ha. Of these, 97,57% (17.582,88 ha.) Correspond mainly to white varieties, the main variety of the DO Rueda.
Jesús Díez de Íscar, technical director of the DO Wheel, confirms that the campaign starts with good forecasts:
“Phytosanitary problems have not been registered in the vineyard. The quality of the grapes is very good. In addition, the rain in the last hours has been very positive because it has helped to reduce the water stress that the plant had, improving the ripening conditions "
At night and by machine, the collection in DO Rueda
La harvest in the DO Rueda is characterized by being at night already machine. These two factors have a decisive influence on the quality of the wines. Mechanization allows collection to be selective by parcels, depending on the maturation and at the winemaker's discretion. Therefore, the optimal moment of its collection is decided, managing to increase the calidad calidad.
For its part, when harvesting at night, the drop in temperatures, minimizing possible oxidation. In this way, the organoleptic qualities are preserved in perfect condition and improves the balance between alcohol content and acidity. All this is very important for the elaboration of wines quality. In addition, with the entry of the grapes into the cellars at a lower temperature, significant energy savings are achieved.
DO Navarra
La Denomination of Origin Navarra begins to harvest and does so in the towns located in the south of the region, in the area of the Low Bank. As usual, they mark the beginning and do so with the collection of the varieties Small Grain Muscat and Chardonnay. In the next few days, the rest of the zones will be added: Ribera Alta, Valdizarbe, Tierra Estella and Baja Montaña with the different grape varieties. White (Viura, Sauvignon Blanc, Garnacha Blanca and Malvasía) and reds (Garnacha, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Graciano and Mazuelo). Everything until completing the wine map of the DO Navarra.
Decrease in production
All the forecasts carried out augur a harvest of around 65 million kilos from grape. This figure represents a decrease compared to the previous season which was especially abundant at about 20%.
The lower harvest and the slight delay in the season are a consequence of the characteristics of the climatic year. A late budding and a cold spring as well as heat waves in summer with specific storms have caused this decrease in production. Although the high temperatures have affected the vineyard, they have also favored the fact that practically no disease has been generated in the grape that presents a exceptional sanitary condition. This has been explained by the president of the Regulatory Council, David palacios:
“We face the harvest with great expectations. We find very healthy grapes in our vineyards that have been very well cared for by our vine growers. This condition and that we are going to have a moderate harvest in kilos makes us presage a quality vintage. Excellent in white, rosé and red wines made by the wineries "
