One could say harvest-time resembles a storm, a meteorological front, which is approaching little by little. You can feel it, you begin to visualize on the horizon, and you begin to calculate, estimate when it will arrive. To calculate what will be the optimal time for harvesting, and what will be collected a little before and after the optimal moment, since it is not possible to collect everything at that “optimal moment”. Also one begins to prepare, the work teams, tools, machinery, etc. Let the “storm” not catch us off guard!. In our case, we must also prepare the winery for the extraction of the must and subsequent vinification. This year, the 2020 harvest, is also showing its own particular style.

It has arrived in an unruly fashion and with her feet on her head. That “stormy front” has arrived faster than usual. The harvest started 2-3 weeks early, with a certain level of drought, grape clusters with a high level of sugar, and which had been “toasting” in the sun. Recent rains, however, have rehydrated those plots that remain without harvesting.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also led to changes, preventive PCR tests by the Basque Government’s health department, isolated work-teams, each with their colored shirts so they do not mix, services for each team, unipersonal tools, ongoing disinfection.

If you would like to see more photos of Gaintza Txakolina’s 2020 harvest, why not visit our Instagram account.

Right now, we are in the “eye of the hurricane”, everything is going well, the team of grape pickers is turning out good, and little by little we are advancing the work to be completed. In a few days, we will start noticing the tiredness and fatigue that the harvest, subsequent extraction of the musts, and the start of the vinification process entail. And … by the time we realize, it will all be over!