Rueda wines, Spain's favourite white wine, are renowned for their zesty acidity and minerality.
VERDEJO, the indigenous Rueda variety is Spain’s beloved white wine grape.
This year’s harvest commenced on the 17th September and was one of the latest harvests in the history of Rueda D.O.
This year’s ‘vendimia’ (harvest) is expected to continue until late October.
Vineyards which have already started this year’s harvest claim that the grapes are in excellent condition.
The registered surface area for the Rueda D.O 2013 harvest is 12,932.44 ha; which shows an increase of 78.55 ha from last year’s vintage. 95% (12,242.19 ha) of the grapes grown in the region are white, and 85% (10,394.22 ha) are of the Verdejo variety.
Almost 90% of white grape varieties are grown in trellises. Subsequently, producers are able to effectively harvest their plots by machine without damaging the vines. This is fortunate given that producers in Rueda have to collect grapes by moonlight as a result of the intense heat in the region during the day.
As ‘Vendimia’ is conducted quickly and in cool temperatures, vine growers and oenologists believe the grapes are at their optimum when harvested using this method.
Written by Decanter
