The 2017 harvest has started in Lagar de Cervera. Two weeks earlier than last year, our Galician winery has already started manually picking the Albariño grapes in Xan Grande (O Rosal) and Viñadiro (Cambados).

The harvest has been in the news throughout the Rías Baixas DO due to the severe drought which has affected vineyards throughout the growing cycle. However, modern fertigation systems implemented in our estates three years ago, coupled with the painstaking care of our team, significantly reduced potential damage caused by the pervasive absence of water. This is the only way we have been to collect high quality grapes in  very good condition, although, as expected, with a slight drop in production with respect to last year’s abundant harvest.

If favourable weather continues, we will be able to maintain a steady picking pace. The clusters are cut by hand and transported refrigerated to the winery, where they pass through the sorting table. Technical Manager Ángel Suárez estimates that all of our Albariño will be picked out in about twenty days.

Early harvests have been the norm across Spanish vineyards, including the estates owned by La Rioja Alta, SA, Torre de Oña and Áster. Daily ripening analyses carried out by our technicians have led to forecasts that the 2017 harvest will start next week in Rioja.