Vintage time

A whole year of waiting, longing and hoping. Welcome, grape harvest. We were waiting for you

The residents of the 144 municipalities in Rioja gather together in the streets and squares to share what the weather forecast on their mobiles are saying or simply to confirm the content of the Control Board ripening status report issued by the Control Board for that week is already known, and agreed upon, by everyone. Nerves are frayed, the fields are full of vibrant colours and this is the time that the stakeholders start the day at the crack of dawn to make sure that last night the stars weren’t lying and that if everything stays the same, this year, 2018, will be one of those vintages you always remember. “It’s about time,” they add. And the truth is that we’ve left September behind and this is the moment when more than 600 wineries, 15,500 grape growers and almost 200 workers from the Control Board are proudly showing off their readiness to put their shoulders to the wheel. Get the hoppers ready; the harvest has begun!