Night harvest in Rutini Wines
Midway through the harvest season, most of Rutini Winery’s vineyards in the Uco Valley –located in Gualtallary (Tupungato), La Consulta (San Carlos) and Altamira (San Carlos)– have already been harvested. You can visit them virtually by clicking here.
Occasionally, this job has taken place during the night. Although this way of harvesting increases costs, it is also a bet on quality that enhaces the winery’s performance.
The areas where the vineyards are located (in the Uco Valley) have a very special terroir: among other qualities, the prevailing temperature difference stands out. During the period of maturity and harvest, the day is very hot and at night the temperature drops considerably. This is due to the height where the grapevines are located, hovering between 1,000 and 1,500 meters above sea level.
Night harvest protects the grapes from the high diurnal temperature thus preventing the production of undesired, spontaneous fermentations and the loss of fresh aromas responsible for the varietal character. On the other hand, it has been proven that this way anthocyanins (which are responsible for the color) are more stable and the enzymatic activity is better. In addition, the grape grains are slightly firmer with cooler temperatures, and so their arrival in the cellar improves with night harvesting.
It is also important to note the energy saving aspect: raw material reaches optimal temperature and does not need to go through the cooling chamber when it reaches the winery. Along with other factors, night harvest results in grapes of outstanding quality. While sunny summers and scarce rain favours the ripening of the bunches, low temperatures and controlled irrigation help to prolong the evolutionary cycle and create a good balance between sugar and acidity of the different varieties. This leads to complex, elegant wines, with varietal typicity and excellent aging potential.