What tasks are carried out in the vineyard in summer?

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2022 / 27 / 07
tareas en el viñedo durante el verano

Each bottle of Juvé & Camps white, red, rosé and premium cava hides meticulous work that, year after year, cares for the vines to extract the best juice from each grape variety that grows in its Penedès and Ribera del Duero vineyards.

Viticulturists and oenologists at Juvé & Camps, faithful to the natural cycles of the land and based on organic processes, are in charge of exhaustive control of the growth of the grape, keeping away weeds and pests that could endanger the correct development fruit in the form of delicate spheres and waiting for the precise and optimal moment to harvest the base product to produce the most exquisite and unique sparkling wines and wines.

Thanks to the calorific power of the sun and the extension of the days, the vineyards face the final stretch for their maturation and subsequent harvest, the end of their annual cyclical process.

The base pearls of the future cava and wine come to light

The arrival of summer is a very important moment, since at the end of June, among the tiny white flowers of the vines, the first grains of fruit can already be seen, with an appearance similar to a pea. While the flowering process evolves, the workers are in charge of new vine shoots and employ preventive treatments to ensure the good health of the vine (such as weed control).

At the same time, leaves, non-fertile and vine shoots that could weaken the plant in the final stretch, prior to harvest, are removed from the vineyard. It is a way to encourage the plant to focus all its energy on improving the fruit.

These types of techniques result in a more intense coloration and aromatic quality of the berries; and as a final result, a more homogeneous maturation of the entire bunch is obtained. But the most important thing is that, in addition, it facilitates the work of manual collection and increases the effectiveness of phytosanitary care.

During the month of July, more treatments are applied, if necessary. The longest stems are lopped and part of the youngest bunches are removed from the very exuberant vines (called “green harvest”) to ensure the excellent health of the rest of the fruit. And well into August, if necessary, a second thinning of the vine is carried out and treatments and care continue among the vineyards.

Each variety takes on its richness and color as the summer progresses

The grapes, which continue to develop throughout the summer, turn black or golden green depending on the variety. This process is called “veraison”, during which the varieties accumulate sugars and phenolic compounds while the pigments responsible for the unique coloration of each variety are expressed.

In a late stage, the grape reaches maturity with a translucent appearance and a soft and elastic consistency. This point marks the time of the harvest, which is intrinsically linked to the month of September.

Among the first varieties to harvest the grape are the chardonnay (100% organic, the basis for obtaining the Reserva Brut Milesimé cava, with unprecedented elegance and aromatic explosion, harvested by hand on Can Rius estate) and macabeo (one of the four types that make up the white wine Ermita d’Espiells, which stands out for its aromas of fresh white fruit -pear and apple-, on a subtle background of white flowers, finished off with a citrus touch of lemon and herbaceous), thanks to its rapid concentration of sugars.

Behind each glass of white, red, rosé and premium cava from Juvé & Camps there is a team of expert grape growers, viticulturists and oenologists who work the vineyards throughout the year so that your sensory experience is unique.