What the 2019 harvest was like

After a dry, mild summer, the first bunches were picked at the start of September in our vineyard in Tomiño, an estate that due to its location and climate, is the first to be harvested in the D.O. Rias Baixas.

The 2019 growth cycle was marked by having a warmer than average winter, with less rainfall, followed by a cold and dry spring. The cold weather continued until June, which saw the lowest temperatures for this month in recent years. The summer months started with mild temperatures that did not exceed 32ºC with low rainfall.

Towards the end of August and throughout September, with harvest imminent, Santiago Ruiz's oenologist Luisa Freire and vineyard manager Ramón Lorenzo were in charge of supervising and monitoring the level of ripeness of the grapes in each of the parcels.

Picking commenced on the 6th of September with Albariño - the earliest ripening grape variety with the shortest cycle. Gradually, it was joined by the other varieties: Godello (19 September), Loureira (20 September) and Treixadura (23 September), and was completed on the 28th September with the harvest of Caiño blanco, the grape variety with the shortest cycle, which therefore is the last to ripen.

Ramón and his field team, who know this vineyard very well, were responsible for placing the grapes by hand in small crates to prevent the grapes from ripening.

After being picked by hand, the crates are transported straight away to the winery, which is located right next to the vines, to ensure that the grapes are of optimum quality. Once inside, the bunches are placed on a sorting table, where they are selected by hand. Once destemmed, a new process of manual selection is started, this time berry-by-berry.

This process was repeated on a daily basis until the end of harvest, developing gradually and at a good speed - except the days 24, 25 and 27 when there was some light rain - and the grapes were in an excellent condition of health.

Now our work in the winery is focused on shaping the wine's character. After alcoholic fermentation, each of the grape varieties is aged on its own lees, to give greater complexity and character to the new vintages of Santiago Ruiz and Rosa Ruiz.