Rioja closes its earliest grape harvest on record
Growers brought in 333.77 million kilograms of grapes, 48% more than last year, in a season compressed by persistent heat.
Rioja has closed its earliest grape harvest on record, with growers bringing in 333.77 million kilograms of grapes under intense heat that compressed the picking season.
The regular harvest ended on September 22, according to figures from the DOCa Rioja regulatory council. The total breaks down into 290.91 million kilograms of red varieties and 42.86 million kilograms of white, the council said.
That volume is 48% higher than last year's harvest, though still below the 382 million kilograms picked in 2023, according to the council. Picking began in early August, the earliest start in the documented history of the appellation, the council said.
A final judgement on the 2026 wines will depend on fermentation and the finished bottles.
Rioja 2026 harvest moved at record speed
The season also moved unusually fast once it started. Volume rose from 185.1 million kilograms in mid-September to the final 333.77 million kilograms over little more than a week, the council's figures show. Persistent heat accelerated ripening throughout the season, and episodes of intense heat in September reduced berry size, which weighed on the final tonnage, according to the council.
Officials described the crop in mid-September as supporting the prospect of a strong vintage in quality, the council said. A final judgement on the 2026 wines will depend on fermentation and the finished bottles, the council added, and some later-ripening parcels may still add small volumes to the total.
A smaller crop than the 2023 record
Even with the sharp year-on-year rise, Rioja's 2026 harvest remains below the record 382 million kilograms picked in 2023, the council's figures show. The compressed, early season follows a run of hot, dry summers across northern Spain that have repeatedly pushed harvest dates forward across the region's vineyards.
The harvest result comes as Spanish wine exports have fallen over the past campaign, adding pressure on producers to convert a bigger crop into stronger sales abroad. DOCa Rioja has not yet published volume figures broken down by sub-zone for Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, the three areas that make up the wider appellation.
