Heat and scarce rainfall bring an earlier harvest to Rueda

D.O. Rueda reports that high temperatures and scarce rainfall brought forward the start of its 2026 grape harvest. The campaign ran from August 12 to September 24, covering 44 days across the denomination’s 74 municipalities. Technical director Jesús Díez de Íscar said the conditions required monitoring individual parcels to determine when grapes should be collected. Ripening allowed the harvest to proceed in stages, with picking adapted to each parcel and variety. Most of the harvesting was carried out mechanically and at night.