The meteorological vintage began with a very dry autumn and the swamps practically empty. December gave a change with rains and for “Reyes” (January 6th) it rained and snowed causing a circulatory chaos in some roads that occupies the covers of the news. Winter ends being very cold and with swamps to overflowing.

Sprouting arrives somewhat delayed and with more than 280 mm. of rainfall since January. Spring was very cold and rainy. Flowering was late, the most delayed in recent years. July came with heavy storms and hailstorms. On the 8th the hail affected a good part of our vineyards in Villalba, Briñas, Haro and Gimileo. Mildew attacks developed mainly in Rioja Media and Alavesa. August was dry with some hot spots and cool nights. The veraison was also late. Cluster mildew appeared, especially on faces affected by hail. The floors were very wet and it was difficult treat them.

Wood diseases appeared more virulent than usual. It was a year of abundant harvest in the D.O. although it was not the case of the RODA vineyards that had lost part of their production due to hail in July. In September there were storms with rains that caused botrytis. Stunning pictures of Logroño flooded during the festivity of San Mateo. At the end of September, the temperatures were very high. The harvest was also late. It began in the last days of September and ended on October 23rd.

668 mm. were collected during the vegetative cycle, making the 2018 vintage the second rainiest in the history of Roda, after 1992. It has been one of the most complicated years meteorologically.