NUMBER 13, 2023
www.vintae.com IF WE WERE TO STOP DREAMING, WE WOULD NOT BE VINTAE
below 20. This happened just when the vineyards had scant water reserves, causing stress on the leaves in the drier areas. In September, the temperatures eased somewhat with the rains in the first half of the month. However, towards the end, we found ourselves in the midst of an extended Indian summer, which, instead of lasting a week, lingered for almost four, stretching from late September to mid-October. That’s favorable for the harvest because you can work without the stress of impending rain that might spoil the grapes, although the temperatures were excessive, reaching 30 degrees, when the ideal would have been not to exceed 25 degrees at that time. In summary, with some exceptions, it has been a warm and dry year, with the rains arriving at the right moments. How has the campaign unfolded, and what challenges have you encountered? In harvest season, having sunny weather is much more reassuring than dealing with a storm, but with such heat, the sugar content begins to rise. Since all our harvesting is done manually, the crews can only do so much (and they do a lot), reaching a point where you wish you could move faster than the ripening process.
INTERVIEW RAÚL ACHA
“In a year marked by uncertainty, timely rains have brought us a better vintage than we expected” The heat and humidity have challenged the vineyards throughout Spain in the 2023 harvest. Well-timed rainfall during crucial stages of the grapevine cycle has led to a fruitful harvest, especially in the later, higher-altitude, and cooler regions. We interviewed Raúl Acha, Technical Director of Vintae, to gain insight into the development of the grapevine cycle and harvest in our vineyards. How did the grapevine growth cycle go this year? The growing season has been quite uneven; if you were to visualize it on a graph, you’d see a sawtooth pattern. Throughout the season, we’ve seen dry spells alternating with rainy periods. We enjoyed several months of summer-like weather, particularly
in April and May. Then, June and early July brought unexpected humidity and cooler temperatures. Following that, a dry spell dominated July and August, only to be followed by an extremely wet September, making it an exceptionally rainy month. Despite it being a dry year, and certain areas experiencing some water deficit compared to the average, the rain has fallen at very opportune moments. The initial rains arrived right between late May and early July, precisely when the vineyard needs water the most. The September rains may have come a bit later than ideal, causing issues with botrytis in vines that were ahead in development. However, in later regions such as the high areas of Rioja Alta or Ribera del Duero, September was the perfect time for the water to arrive. In the temperature chart, you can also see sawtooth patterns. It’s been a warm year, albeit somewhat milder compared to 2022. We experienced a spring that felt more like summer in April and May, with temperatures soaring above the usual, pushing the growing cycle notably ahead. Parts of the region experienced disruptions due to frosts in April, extending into May 17th in places like Ribera soriana, where the cycle had to start anew. June brought a cooler spell, and both July and the first half of August were relatively pleasant. From the second half of August onward, things took a turn for the worse. Temperatures soared to around 40 degrees Celsius, and at night, they barely dipped
Moreover, in that heat, the grapes may enter the winery at temperatures that are less than ideal. When we harvest into crates, these are processed the next day, and with the coolness of the night, their temperature drops by a few degrees. However, when we harvest into trailers and process the grapes immediately, they might enter the winery a bit warmer. That’s why we have cooling equipment in the winery, to address any issues that may arise during harvests like these. Is Vintae’s strategy of consistently seeking vineyards in high-altitude and cool regions proving effective in these challenging and warm years? The luck we’ve had, or rather, the luck we’ve actively sought, is that having vineyards in high-altitude areas is proving extremely advantageous in these warm and dry years. For example, in 2023, our vineyards in Ribera or Rioja experienced a delayed ripening, and this has had two effects: firstly, the September rains arrived with the grapes still slightly greener, causing less harm to them. On the other hand, when the summer heat sets in alongside a scarcity of water, we find ourselves better shielded: enjoying cooler nights, days that are a bit less warm, and all of these factors contribute to a more balanced grape. How do you assess the vintage in terms of quantity and quality? With such a variable year, the experiences throughout these months have been quite diverse. In the exceptionally dry spring, there was a certain apprehension; the shoot growth was sluggish, the vine looked frail, and it was worrisome. The rains in June offered us a reprieve, and the vineyards transformed into lush greenery.