The Autonomous Community of Castilla y Len expects to harvest a total of approximately 285 million kilograms of grapes at the end of the 2020 harvest, an increase of 12% compared to 2019 production and 13% compared to the average production of the last five years.
Image courtesy of: Penin Guide Spain
By the end of September, the harvest was 43% complete for the entire Autonomous Community, with a total of approximately 123.5 million kg of grapes harvested and of very good quality. Although the production did not reach the record level of 2018 (306 million kilograms), the results are excellent for a complex and difficult year.
Overall, a good performance is forecast for this year, both in terms of quantity and quality, said Jess Julio Carnero, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock. There were no serious problems during the entire grape growing cycle. The spring was rainy, with moderate temperatures and no frosts, which favored the germination of the vines. In the summer, even in hot and stormy weather, there was no significant damage to the vines. As a result, the grapes were generally in very good condition this year.
Harvesting began in the last week of August in some appellations, such as Rueda, Bierzo, Toro and Arribes. By the end of September, Rueda had harvested 80% of its estimated production, Bierzo predicted that the final production would remain at 11 million kg, while the harvest in Leon and Toro was about 40% complete, and the rest of the appellations were still in the first third of the harvest.
