Discover the importance of Night Harvesting

Now well into the harvest season, Bodega Rutini has harvested most of its Uco Valley estates, located in Gualtallary (Tupungato), La Consulta (San Carlos) and Altamira (San Carlos).
You can visit them virtually by clicking here.
On occasions, this collection has taken place during the night.
Although this practice increases costs, it is a commitment to quality that optimizes the winery’s yields. The areas where the vineyards are located (in the Uco Valley) have a special terroir that stands out, among many other qualities, for the thermal amplitude of the place.
During the ripening and harvesting period, daytime temperatures are very high and at night they drop considerably.
This is due to the altitude of the vineyards, which is between 1,000 and 1,500 meters above sea level.
Harvesting at night protects the grapes from the high thermal levels, thus avoiding the production of undesired fermentation and the loss of fresh aromas, which are responsible for the varietal character.
On the other hand, it has been proven that anthocyanins (responsible for color) are more stable and that there is better enzymatic activity.
In addition, at cooler temperatures the grape berries are slightly firmer, which improves the way they arrive at the winery. It is also important to highlight the energy savings that night harvesting means: since the raw material arrives at the winery at an optimum temperature, it does not need to pass through the refrigeration chamber.
This practice, together with other factors, results in grapes of outstanding quality.
While sunny summers and low rainfall favor the ripening of the clusters, low temperatures and controlled irrigation prolong the evolutionary cycle and create a good balance between the sugar and acidity of the different varieties.
This results in complex, elegant wines with varietal typicity and excellent cellaring potential.