Aiguamúrcia, 7/10/98: Six weeks after harvesting their Chardonnay, Sergi and Anton have finally finished the harvest. The last variety to be picked, Parellada, is one of the base grapes for cava, and the last few days are dedicated to picking the higher altitude fields where the grapes ripen later.

Like the other varieties, this year the Parellada harvest has been a quality one. The weather has been kind all summer, and barring minimal hail damage to the vineyard shown in the photographs (due to a September thunderstorm), the 1998 harvest could not have been better. Overall quantity is slightly down on 1997, but this is more than compensated for by the lack of rot or other diseases.