Overview
- Mar de Frades opened picking in Rías Baixas on August 14, and by August 15 four of Galicia’s five denominaciones de origen had begun harvesting with Monterrei set to start imminently.
- Regulatory councils and bodegas report excellent sanitary conditions and say grape quality looks very good even with the unusually early timing.
- Aggregated production estimates point to a historically large campaign, with regulators citing roughly 81 million kilograms nationally and Rías Baixas near 50 million kilograms.
- Yields are uneven: some vineyards expect lower production per hectare while Bodegas Martín Códax projects about 20% less at the vineyard level but aims to match total entries through new plantings and renewed supply contracts.
- The compressed, staggered harvest is straining service providers and forcing operational shifts such as contract renewals, expanded grower area and changes to harvesting schedules that will shape winery operations this season.