Bodegas Tarón is optimistic about the 2026 vintage following a historic grape harvest

Winemaker Laura Manzanos highlights the excellent health of the grapes and the role played by the diversity of the vineyards in the Territorio Tarón region during what has been the earliest harvest on record.

The 2026 grape harvest has now come to an end at Bodegas Tarón, setting a record: it was the earliest since the winery was founded. A year of exceptionally high temperatures, with successive heatwaves since mid-May, has accelerated the entire vineyard cycle – from budbreak to harvest – and has necessitated changes to some of the usual harvesting practices.

Despite these conditions, the grapes have arrived at the winery in very good condition and initial impressions of the wines from the new vintage are positive, according to Laura Manzanos, winemaker at Bodegas Tarón.

A grape harvest marked by heat and adaptation

‘It has been a very early harvest and very different from usual. The earliest in our history,’ says Laura Manzanos, who also highlights the vineyard’s ability to adapt to extreme weather conditions.

The high temperatures have led to particularly rapid ripening, especially in terms of sugar accumulation and, consequently, alcohol content.

This situation has required continuous monitoring of the vineyards to determine the most suitable time for harvesting on each plot.

‘We’ve had to keep a very close eye on each plot to find the right time to harvest,’ explains the winemaker.

Early-morning grape harvest, one of the new features for 2026

One of the most significant decisions of this campaign has been to change, for the first time, the times at which grapes are received at the winery to facilitate the grape harvest in the early hours of the morning.

The aim was to take advantage of the cooler temperatures at night and avoid the hottest part of the day whilst harvesting. To this end, the grape pickers worked in the early hours of the morning, using headlamps to light their way amongst the vines.

An adaptation that reflects how weather conditions are affecting not only the harvest schedule, but also the organisation of work in the vineyard.

The diversity of the Tarón region: an asset in an exceptional vintage

Bodegas Tarón’s vineyards are spread across the municipalities of Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón, Sajazarra, Tirgo and Villaseca, in the Rioja Alta region, and feature a variety of altitudes, aspect and soil types.

This diversity has proved particularly important during the 2026 growing season. The plots situated in higher, cooler areas, with clay-limestone and sandy soils, have developed at a more leisurely pace, which has allowed them to cope with the high temperatures more comfortably and better preserve the balance of the grapes.

By contrast, the vineyards situated 500 metres away, with gravelly (pebbly) soils, have experienced a much more rapid acceleration in ripening due to the intense heat, which has made it necessary to monitor the plots very closely and to harvest them quickly in order to pick the grapes at the right time.

As Laura explains, this difference between the vineyards has been key to organising the harvest, as the plots on gravel and boulders were the first to be brought into the winery, whilst the vineyards in cooler areas, situated on clay-limestone and sandy soils, were able to withstand the high temperatures perfectly and maintain a slower rate of ripening.

“This year has really highlighted the importance of that diversity. Having vineyards in different conditions has allowed us to strike the right balance at every stage,” explains the winemaker.

Individual monitoring of the plots has therefore been one of the key factors in managing a harvest characterised by widely varying rates of ripening. The combination of altitudes, aspect and soil types has enabled us to adapt the harvesting times to the development of each vineyard and to respond more effectively to the extreme conditions of this growing season.

Healthy grapes and a promising start for the 2026 vintage

The grapes arrived at the winery in very good condition, although their alcohol content was slightly higher than usual due to the high temperatures.

With the grape harvest now complete, work continues in the winery, where the first wines of 2026 are beginning to reveal their characteristics.

Laura Manzanos is cautious, though pleased with her first impressions. “It’s still early days, but the initial impressions are good. Now it’s a case of letting them develop and seeing how the vintage turns out.”

The 2026 vintage will thus go down in the history of Bodegas Tarón as a record-breaking harvest due to its early start, but also as an example of adaptability, in which an in-depth understanding of each vineyard and the diversity of the Tarón region proved essential in coping with the conditions of an exceptional growing season.