Three of the main denominations of origin (DO) of Spanish wine, Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Rueda, have saved this year’s harvest with a result that is far from the bad omens that have stalked this campaign, and show a higher final production than expected and a high quality grape.
Representatives of the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin (DOCa) and the Ribera de Duero and Rueda DOs have reviewed for Efeagro the development of the harvest, which began early due to the high temperatures but was prolonged over time due to of the uneven ripening of the grapes.
As the weeks went by, the berries improved in quantity and quality, mainly thanks to the late summer rains.
In this way, these three appellations of origin have moved away from the general forecast for all of Spain, which according to agricultural organizations will suffer from the prolonged drought and heat waves of spring and will offer some 36 million hectoliters of wine, compared to to nearly 40 million by 2021.
Record harvest in Rueda
The rains at the end of the summer also completely changed the panorama in the DO Rueda, where at the beginning of the harvest a small production was expected, but in the end it will set records for grapes entering the winery with 150 million kilos, surpassing the 130 million of 2018.
The water stress and the heat waves of spring brought forward the harvest and conditioned the ripening of the grapes, but “the rains at the end of August have ended up giving strength and vigor to the vines, in order to have a record harvest », explains the general director of the DO Rueda, Santiago Mora.
To this is added that the health of the grapes is “maximum”, something “key” for the quality of the wine, says Mora, so the vintage also promises to be “very good”.
The DOCa Rioja and the DO Ribera del Duero and Rueda account for 36.61 percent of the total marketing by denominations of origin, according to data from the 2020-2021 campaign of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with Rioja as the outstanding leader with 23.37 percent of that total.