Drought and high temperatures will condition the evolution of the vineyard and the vintage in Rioja and Penedès appellations, which keep similar evolutions this year. Likewise, good quality expectations for 2016 harvest are maintained.
Drought dragged from last year – from July to July the normality would be in a rainfall around 500 lit / m2 and this year until July 31 have rained 345 lit / m2 – will mark in a way Important the weight of the grapes and therefore the results of the harvest 2016.
This year 2016 there has been a 20% to 30% increase in grapes from last year, and maturation controls indicate that the current weight of 100 grains of grapes is significantly lower than last year, with areas where is 40% lower.
For the production of wines into DO Penedès are necessary 10,600,000 kg of white grapes and 9,300,000 kg of red grapes. The evolution of temperatures and climatology in general will mark the evolution of the vintage in the later varieties.
As for quality, it is expected to be very good, in part because of the good health of the vines and grapes.
Drought and high temperatures condition the evolution of the vineyard in Rioja, which maintains good quality expectations for 2016 vintage.
In consequence, the weight of the bunch remains stabilized and the alcoholic maturation has evolved well in Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa; While in Rioja Baja has slowed down.
In addition, total acidity decreases gradually and is already approaching own harvest values, according to the Council, for which the climatology of the coming days will be decisive in the final result of the harvest.
In this sense rains, which have begun today, if they occur in a moderate way, will be very beneficial.
Another of the most significant conclusions refers to the fact that vegetative and sanitary state of the vineyard is still very good, which allows to maintain excellent quantitative and qualitative expectations for the harvest of 2016.
The grape harvest began on August 29 with the earliest white varieties and is already beginning with the rest of varieties in the most oriental areas of the DOCa (Rioja, Basque and Navarrese vineyards)