In recent years, harvests in Spain have become something of a rollercoaster. 2023 will be remembered for an ongoing drought in many areas, a severe heatwave at the end of August and the variable impact of the rain in September.

The unprecedent heat and drought experienced in 2022 has pushed Spanish producers to strengthen some practices, reconsider others and, above all, realise that they cannot take their eyes off the vineyard.

Continuing with our 2021 harvest report, we publish the impressions of the producers who work in the southern half of the country. Once again we have asked them about the key factors that shaped the vintage and how the wines are developing.

We talked to producers all across the country to find out their impressions of the 2021 harvest: the pros and cons, the key factors that shaped the year, and how the wines are developing. In this first part we look at Spain's northern half.

Following Amaya Cervera's comprehensive report describing the vintage in the northern half of the country and the Balearic Islands, this week we publish the views of over a dozen producers in the south of the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands.

The most difficult vintage in recent times shows considerable variations across the country. Although mildew caused extensive damage to the plants and Covid to humans, some producers are expecting to make excellent wines.

The second part of our 2019 harvest report reveals many areas suffering draught, heatwaves and high concentration, but the most striking phenomenon was the heavy rains that flooded vineyards in the southeast.

Despite the heat wave at the end of July or the heavy rains and flooding in the southeast, Spanish producers are happy with the 2019 harvest —some even describe it as legendary.

As the climate turns increasingly capricious, producers struggle to take the right deci-sions in every new vintage. After gathering the impressions of producers across the country, 2018 appears to have been an extremely challenging year.

2017 has been one of the shortest, earliest and more catastrophic vintages in recent times with plenty of frost, hail and drought. But what will the wines taste like? We have asked more than 20 producers across the country.

We’ve talked to leading producers and Regulatory Boards in the wine regions that were severely hit by frost in the northwest of Spain on the last week of April to assess the extent of the damage. Now it’s time to move forward, everyone agrees.

This year’s drought marked a sharp contrast between the high yields in Rioja and areas of Castilla y León and the low production in the Mediterranean. Yet quality expectations are high in many parts with reds set to be fresh and moderate in alcohol.

With few exceptions, 2014 has failed to be a relaxed harvest in Spain. Some of the best producers in the country give us their verdict and recall their sometimes stressful experiences.