A season marked by heavy rains, mildew outbreaks, and an uneven outcome.
The 2025 harvest will go down in history as one of the most complex and challenging in the Marco de Jerez. In a year that began with promising weather—thanks to generous rainfall that followed five consecutive years of drought—the campaign took an unexpected turn due to widespread downy mildew and one of the most extreme heatwaves in decades. The final balance: a significant drop in yields across the region, although vineyards that weathered the challenges produced musts of remarkable quality.
HISTORIC RAINFALL… AND ITS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
The season started on a hopeful note. According to Sergio Martínez, Lustau Cellar Master, “early in the year we recorded unusually abundant rainfall—between 800 and 900 liters per square meter (10.7 ft2), with some areas reaching up to 1,000.” This was a dramatic contrast to the previous years, when the region had fallen far below the historic average of 600–620 l/m². The albariza soils, known for their superb moisture-retaining capacity, absorbed and stored the rain, setting the stage for a generous crop.
Learn more about albariza soil, a predominant factor in the sherry region
However, summer conditions soon turned threatening. The region experienced a prolonged heatwave, with temperatures nearing 40 °C (104 °F) and many tropical nights—those with minimums above 20 °C (68 °F). “There was an almost complete absence of dew at night, which is so important for the plant’s hydration during the final phase of ripening,” noted César Saldaña, president of the Consejo Regulador.
Those conditions created the perfect breeding ground for mildew, a fungal disease not typically problematic in Jerez. “This was an unprecedented outbreak in the region’s recent history,” emphasized Saldaña. It is estimated that fungal disease affected 40–50% of the overall crop across the region.
ONE OF THE SMALLEST HARVESTS IN FIFTEEN YEARS
The result: an extremely short harvest. “Production has dropped more than 40% compared to the 2024 harvest,” confirmed Saldaña. That makes it one of the lightest harvests since the mid-2000s. While early projections expected a generous vintage, the fungal pressure and intense heat compromised ripening, cluster weight, and—in some cases—grape integrity.
Still, in well-managed vineyards, the outcome was far more positive. At Lustau, preventive fungicide treatments were applied early in anticipation of the wet spring. “We took precautions and treated the vineyard so that mildew wouldn’t take hold, and it worked,” says Martínez. Their resulting yields were only 15% lower than in 2024—well below the regional average. “We can consider ourselves fortunate,” he adds, “especially since our grapes, as in every year, were excellent—with an average Baumé degree above 12.”
Toni Caraballo, Lustau’s Vineyards Foreman, oversees the daily care and work across both of the estate’s vineyards
FEWER GRAPES, BUT HIGHER QUALITY
This natural sugar level was one of the key positives of the vintage. “We should highlight the final ripeness levels—around 12.5° Baumé—and the great health of the fruit,” Saldaña noted, “which points to musts of high quality.” So while volume was limited, the quality of the harvest in certain areas offers cautious optimism.
As is customary, the harvest progressed gradually across the region, starting in the warmer inland vineyards and ending later along the cooler, coastal pagos. Despite the heat, night harvesting helped preserve freshness—especially in grapes destined for biologically aged wines. Meanwhile, grapes for sweet wines like moscatel and pedro ximénez were handpicked and sun-dried using the traditional ‘asoleo’ method.
A LESSON IN VINEYARD CARE AND FORESIGHT
One of the key takeaways from this harvest is the importance of attentive vineyard management throughout the growing cycle. “There’s no doubt that caring for the vines is essential to achieving the best quality musts,” says Martínez. In Lustau’s case, he credits his team’s disciplined fieldwork: “I would highlight the excellent work done in terms of fertilization and viticultural practices—maintaining, renewing, and replanting vines with a focus on improving yields.”
The severity of the mildew outbreak will likely serve as a turning point for the region. Many growers were caught off guard, as the fungus has rarely been an issue in such an arid climate. Going forward, prevention will become a more central strategy in vineyard management.
Despite the challenges, the 2025 vintage leaves behind a valuable legacy: rehydrated soils. “After about five years of drought, this year’s abundant rainfall allowed the albariza to replenish its inner moisture,” explains Martínez. “So, if we get even an average amount of rainfall next year, the vines will have enough reserves to deliver a high-quality, well-balanced 2026 crop.”
With lessons learned, roots nourished, and eyes turned cautiously to the sky, the sherry region enters the next growing season with quiet determination—and a renewed commitment to protecting its most precious resource: the vineyard.
The Regulatory Council—which oversees the designations of origin that bring together 1,750 grape growers and around 100 wineries across the region—has also reminded the public that sherry wines and Manzanilla de Sanlúcar have a unique advantage: their quality and availability on the market are not tied to a single harvest. Thanks to the criaderas and solera system, bodegas can compensate for shorter or more difficult vintages by drawing from more generous ones—such as 2024, which was “especially abundant.”
This aging model, based on the dynamic blending of multiple vintages over time, safeguards the continuity and character of sherry wines while preserving the diversity of styles that define the Jerez region.
THESE WERE THE NUMBERS AS OF 09/03/2025
Quantities crushed and average alcohol levels obtained since the beginning of the harvest up to the present date.
