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The Spanish appellation DOCa Rioja has, according to the control board, recorded the smallest harvest of the century. With an estimated 275.6 million kilograms of grapes, the amount is significantly below that of the previous year (381 million kg). According to the control board, 236.4 million (86%) of the harvest was red varieties and 39.1 million (14%) was white. Broken down by regions, 121.9 million kilograms were harvested in Rioja Alta, 66.7 million kilograms in Rioja Alavesa, and 86.8 million kilograms in Rioja Oriental.
Reasons for the decline include the green harvest, during which 7,273 hectares of vineyards were taken out of production, and heavy rainfall at the end of September. This led to an early harvest, which according to the control board was also the shortest of the century. Pablo Franco, technical director of the control board of DOCa Rioja, described it as a very challenging vintage. Due to the unpredictable weather conditions in September, the Rioja winemakers had to adapt their work individually to the development of the grapes.
That the qualities are so good despite the changeable climate is mainly due to the painstaking detail work in the vineyard. Now it is important to utilize the individual characteristics of the locations and grapes in the cellar. "This year, the details will be crucial for the development of the wines," Franco said about the vintage.
(ru / Press release)