Juvé & Camps has begun today the 2026 harvest at its Espiells estate, marking the earliest harvest in the winery’s history and the first ever to take place at night. For the first time, this century-old winery has started picking grapes in July, as a result of the vintage’s climatic evolution. The high temperatures recorded over the past few weeks have accelerated the ripening process in the earliest vineyard plots, bringing forward their optimal harvest date. To avoid the hottest hours of the day, harvesting now begins during the night rather than in the early morning, as in previous vintages.
This year’s harvest is shaping up with particularly promising prospects. Rainfall throughout the year, totalling 630 l/m², has replenished soil water reserves after several years of drought and encouraged balanced vine development.
Pre-harvest assessments show healthy, uniform grapes, with gradual ripening and excellent preservation of their natural acidity. Juvé & Camps expects to harvest around 1,000,000 kilograms of estate-grown grapes, with an estimated average yield of 5,500 kg/ha, although the final outcome will depend on weather conditions over the coming weeks.
“Winter rainfall has restored balance to the soils and allowed the vines to reach ripening with a water supply very different from that of recent years. The grapes are healthy and uniform; now the challenge is to interpret each plot individually and harvest it at its precise moment, without being influenced by the overall earliness of the vintage,” explains Pep Jiménez, Viticulture Director at Juvé & Camps.
A precise, hand-harvested vintage – and, for the first time, at night
The harvest, carried out entirely by hand, will involve around one hundred people working alongside the Juvé & Camps viticulture team over the coming weeks. The grape clusters will be picked one by one, allowing an initial selection in the vineyard itself and preserving the integrity of the fruit until it reaches the winery.
For the first time in its history, Juvé & Camps will carry out part of the harvest during the night. Until now, grape picking began early in the morning, but the earliness of this vintage and the high temperatures have led the winery to move operations to the cooler night-time hours.
This decision allows the grapes to be harvested at a lower temperature and kept cool during transport to the winery, reducing the risk of oxidation while helping preserve their aromatic potential, freshness and natural acidity. At the same time, it avoids exposing harvest crews to the hottest hours of the day, providing safer and more favourable working conditions.
The harvest begins with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyard plots, primarily destined for the production of base wines for long-aged sparkling wines. As ripening progresses, Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada will follow, together with the varieties used for still wines.
Each vineyard plot is monitored and harvested separately according to its variety, orientation, altitude, soil composition and ripening stage. The proximity of the vineyards to the winery minimises the time between picking and pressing. Upon arrival, the grapes undergo both analytical and visual selection before vinification begins.
“The first samples show a highly promising combination of freshness, ripeness and natural acidity. We expect precise base wines with tension, aromatic expression and the structure required to withstand the long ageing periods that define the Juvé & Camps style. Everything points to a balanced vintage with a strong identity and the necessary conditions to produce deeply expressive Brut Nature sparkling wines,” says Laura Tragant, Technical Director at Juvé & Camps.
The harvest: the result of a full year in the vineyard
Juvé & Camps cultivates 252 hectares of estate-owned vineyards, spread across Espiells, La Cuscona and the high-altitude vineyards of Mediona. Rather than viewing this surface as a single continuous estate, the winery considers it a mosaic of vineyard plots, each with its own characteristics and expressive potential.
An in-depth understanding of each soil type, grape variety, orientation and altitude allows viticultural and winemaking decisions to be tailored to every site. At Espiells, for example, a soil study based on 76 soil pits and 260 boreholes has enabled detailed mapping of the soils, helping guide the management of each vineyard plot and the intended use of its grapes.
The vineyards have been certified organic since 2015 and are managed according to the principles of regenerative viticulture. Throughout the year, the team maintains cover crops, incorporates organic matter, carries out respectful pruning and green pruning, applies low-impact soil management techniques, and manages water according to the specific needs of each vineyard plot.
As part of its climate adaptation strategy, the winery has planted a new Xarel·lo Vermell vineyard following the Keyline design, a system that takes advantage of the land’s natural contours to improve water infiltration and distribution, reduce erosion and increase vineyard resilience. The revival of this traditional Penedès variety also reflects the winery’s commitment to exploring plant material better adapted to future climatic conditions.
This work is complemented by the protection of woodlands, streams, field margins and native vegetation, which encourage biodiversity and support beneficial wildlife. The winery’s 252 hectares of vineyards coexist with approximately 230 hectares of forests and natural areas, forming a total estate of 482 hectares.
A commitment to people and place
The 2026 harvest is also the first since Juvé & Camps joined Corpinnat. The collective brand’s production model requires organic grapes and organic winemaking, manual harvesting, vinification entirely on the estate, extended ageing, independent external audits and a guaranteed minimum price for partner growers. This framework aligns naturally with Juvé & Camps’ long-standing heritage as a benchmark producer of Brut Nature sparkling wines with long and exceptionally long ageing.
In addition to its own vineyards, Juvé & Camps works with a carefully selected network of growers across the Penedès, maintaining long-term relationships focused on quality and the continuity of agricultural activity. For this harvest, the winery guarantees a minimum price of €0.96/kg for purchased grapes.
“This harvest reflects a way of working that begins long before the grapes are picked: caring for the soil, managing every vineyard plot with precision and always thinking in the long term. We want every vintage to remain true to the Penedès and for the value created to benefit the people who keep this landscape alive,” says Meritxell Juvé, CEO and fourth-generation member of the family.
With this historic early harvest, Juvé & Camps begins a new vintage while remaining true to the philosophy that has guided the winery for generations: observing the land, harvesting every grape at its perfect moment, and understanding that the quality of a great wine always begins in the vineyard.
