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At Bodegas Arzuaga, we’re lucky enough to experience the vine growing cycle first-hand: the different processes that transform the vineyard until it reaches the end, and then everything starts all over again. Now, we’re just getting to the days before this culmination, which, in grape and wine growing, is known as the harvest. The bunches that hang from our vines are now nearly at the perfect point of ripeness. When they reach this point, we’ll pick them and bring them to the winery so that, after being sorted on the selection table, the magic can start there and end in our Ribera del Duero wines.
So, the last process we carried out in the Bodegas Arzuaga vineyards was, as Jorge Sánchez, head of vine growing explains, regulating ‘the production potential, leaving just the right load on the vine’. In other words, we got rid of some bunches to leave just 12 bunches per vine, to avoid overloading the plant and to ensure the fruit ripens correctly and is of the highest quality. This way, after the regulation, each vine is left with around 2.5 kilos of grapes.
Once this regulation process has been completed, it’s just a matter of waiting. Waiting patiently and without intervention for the grapes to finish their ripening process and for us to be able to begin harvesting them. The harvest might come sooner or later, also taking into account whatever weather conditions we have in the area of Ribera del Duero where we are located. ‘With lower temperatures and rain, the harvest may get pushed back a few days, and with high temperatures, it may come forward,’ explains Sánchez.
In any case, for the moment we can say that the outlook for this 2020 vintage is very positive, in terms of both quantity and quality. We had rain when we needed it, so the plants have sufficient water reserves to complete a good oenological ripening. The plants are also in excellent health, without any kind of disease that could affect the harvest. Ultimately, the vintage points to a harvest of ‘very good quality,’ says Sánchez.
The growing cycle is about to finish! Soon, it will start all over again and we’ll see the plants changing and following their course.