This morning, we began the 2024 harvest at Viñedos de Aldeanueva S.Coop, as always, starting with the Tempranillo Blanco variety during a night harvest. This year, the harvest began 11 days later than in 2023.

These grapes will be processed in our winery “Fincas de Azabache,” which is owned by the Cooperative and dedicated to the production of DOCa Rioja Premium wines.

The alcohol content of the Tempranillo Blanco variety has already reached 12º in different plots, which is the ideal level for white grapes in order to obtain the maximum fruitiness and freshness in the wines. The plots selected by the technical department will be harvested, and today, Wednesday, around 180,000 kg of white grapes are expected to be collected. These are the most advanced plots.

We will continue harvesting on Thursday, the 22nd, and then take a break until Monday, the 26th, when we will resume collecting the Tempranillo Blanco.

The 2024 harvest is expected to last at least a month and a half due to the wide variety of grape types we have, starting in the lower-altitude areas with the Tempranillo Blancos and finishing in the higher-altitude areas with the Garnacha variety.

This year, the vineyard cycle in Aldeanueva de Ebro began with budding on the same dates as last year, on March 20th, with unusually high temperatures for that time. From mid-April through May, the temperature moderated, which delayed the cycle compared to last year. Flowering began on May 18th, showing a delay of about 10 days compared to last year, and the setting followed the same delay. This delay is mainly due to the fact that the average temperatures in April, May, and June were lower than those of the previous year. Additionally, during April and May, we accumulated almost twice as much rainfall as recorded in 2023. We have observed lower fertility compared to other years, leading to a forecast of a smaller harvest than last year, but with exceptional health and quality potential. However, as always, September will be the decisive month for the final quality of the grapes in our area.

It should be noted that today, Wednesday, August 21st, is dedicated exclusively to harvesting Tempranillo Blanco grapes, the earliest of all the varieties, and in our Rioja Oriental region, it is also the most advanced in the denomination. The other white varieties in the winery, such as Viura and Verdejo, will need a few more days of ripening to reach their optimal state.

As for the red grapes, Viñedos de Aldeanueva S.Coop. expects to start picking them in early September, depending on the ripening progress in the most advanced areas and with the Tempranillo Tinto variety.

Happy harvest to everyone!