The Rueda Designation of Origin (DO Rueda) is the leader in quality white wines in Spain. The 2018 harvest begins tonight with the Sauvignon Blanc variety, whose vegetative cycle is shorter than that of the rest of the varieties and with an earlier ripening.
Over the next few weeks the harvest will be generalized both to the wineries and to the rest of the varieties. For this reason, they will reach their ideal degree of maturity for harvesting. They thus hope that the harvest of the Verdejo variety, native to the area, will begin in mid-September.
The area registered for the 2018 harvest is 16.164,92 ha. Of these, 97,1% (15.711,64 ha.) Correspond to white varieties. In addition, of these, 86,9% are from Verdejo, the main and native variety of the DO Rueda.
The campaign begins with excellent forecasts, since ripening has been favored by the large differences in temperature between day and night registered in recent days and by a vineyard in perfect health.
Quality controls at DO Rueda
The main function of the CRDO Rueda is to control quality. Therefore, the Technical Services are fully operational. They are inspecting the origin of the grapes and the productions per hectare of the vineyards. Likewise, they verify the sanitary status and the quantity of grapes of each variety. This is the one that is then delivered to each of the wineries. Items that do not meet the requirements established by the Regulation of the Regulatory Council (CR) are discarded.
That is why around 70 assistants will be hired for this vintage. Together with the 6 supervisors of the CR, they will control the entry of the grapes into each of the hoppers of the hosted wineries. This is how they intend to carry out the necessary controls. For this campaign, 1.525 winegrowers are registered in the DO Rueda. In addition, two new wineries are expected to start producing in this 2018 vintage. They are:
· Rodríguez Sanzo, SL
· J. Fernando Bodegas y Viñedos, SL
Night and machine
The harvest in the DO Rueda is characterized by being carried out at night and by machine. These two factors have a decisive influence on the quality of the wines. Mechanization allows the collection to be selective by parcel, depending on the maturation and at the discretion of the winemaker.
Therefore, the optimal moment of its collection is decided, thus managing to increase the quality level of the consignments that enter the winery.
For its part, when harvesting at night, the drop in temperatures is taken advantage of, reducing possible oxidation as much as possible. Also preserving the organoleptic qualities in perfect condition. In addition to improving the balance between alcohol content and acidity. This is very important for the production of quality wines.
On the other hand, with the entry of the grapes into the cellars at a lower temperature, significant energy savings are achieved.
In short, the harvesting takes place in the dark of night, but it is marked by the powerful light of the machines. A vintage in which wines of the highest quality are made. They make the Rueda Denomination of Origin the leader of white wines with DO from Spain.
You can consult more information about this winery on its website Wheel.
