2026 Harvest: a vintage that leaves us with very positive impressions

Harvest is probably the most intense time of year at a winery.

Over just a few weeks, we gather the result of many months of work in the vineyard and finally begin to see the outcome of the entire growing season.

At Bodegas Murillo Viteri, we have now completed the 2026 harvest, both for our white and red grape varieties. It has been a demanding few weeks, with constant monitoring and almost daily decision-making, but we are bringing this harvest to a close with a very positive feeling.

The grapes are now safely in the winery, and another equally important stage begins: fermentation and the development of wines that are gradually starting to reveal their character.

After everything we have experienced over the past few weeks, we can say with satisfaction that the 2026 harvest has left us with very positive impressions.

A harvest shaped by close vineyard monitoring

No two harvests are ever the same.

Temperatures, rainfall and the development of each individual plot mean that every vintage has its own particular characteristics, and this year has been no exception.

High temperatures have influenced much of the ripening cycle and have made it especially important to monitor each vineyard closely in order to choose the right moment to harvest.

Because deciding when to pick the grapes is not simply a matter of waiting until they have reached a certain sugar level.

Each plot develops at its own pace, and knowing when to wait — or when to move earlier if necessary — is one of the most important decisions of the entire season.

How do we know when a grape is ready to be harvested?

During the weeks leading up to harvest, we carry out regular checks across our vineyards.

We taste the grapes, observe how they are developing and assess several different factors before deciding when the right moment has arrived to harvest each plot.

Among other things, we look at:

• Sugar levels.
• Acidity.
• The condition of the grape skins.
• Seed ripeness.
• The flavour of the berries.
• The overall health of the grapes.

All of this helps us achieve the balance we are looking for before the grapes arrive at the winery.

If you have ever wondered how we know when the right moment has arrived, you can find out more about how we monitor grape ripeness in our vineyards.

From the first white grapes to our Tempranillo

As happens every year, the harvest has progressed gradually.

We began with our white grape varieties and then moved on to the reds, with Tempranillo once again playing a leading role over these past few weeks.

Each plot has arrived at the winery at its own time, according to its individual development.

This careful monitoring and selection is precisely what allows us to end the harvest on such a positive note: the grapes have arrived in good condition and with the balance we were looking for.

Once the grapes have been picked, the work continues inside the winery.

The musts begin to transform, fermentation gets underway and each tank slowly starts to reveal the first characteristics of the new vintage. If you would like to learn more about what happens from this point onwards, you can discover how we make our Rioja wines.

What has the 2026 harvest left us?

Above all, very positive impressions.

After months of work in the vineyard, we can now end the season with the satisfaction of having harvested the grapes at the right moment and of seeing them begin to develop inside the winery.

We are now closely monitoring each tank: how fermentation is progressing, which aromas are beginning to emerge and how each wine is developing.

There is still a long way to go, but this first stage allows us to approach the new vintage with optimism.

The harvest has now been successfully completed.

What begins now is the more patient side of our work: allowing each wine to evolve and carefully following its development over the coming months.

Now a new story begins

The harvest marks the end of one stage, but also the beginning of the next.

From this point onwards come the fermentations, racking, the development of each wine in tank and, for some wines, a long ageing period before they are finally ready to reach your glass.

Some of the wines we are beginning to make today will not be tasted for several years.

And perhaps that is one of the most special things about this time of year: while you are enjoying wines from previous harvests, here at the winery we are already working on the wines that will reach your table in the future.

In the meantime, you can discover our selection of Rioja red wines or explore one of the wines that best represents the result of this work, our Murillo Viteri Reserva.

The 2026 harvest has now come to an end.

And it does so leaving us with very positive impressions, great excitement and a new vintage that has already begun its journey in the winery.