From vine to wine
There is a lot going on in the vineyard during a season. From pruning, cutting the grass, weeding, green harvesting and to final harvesting. Everything to get the best possible quality of the grapes, and thus the best possible quality of the wine! The quality of a good wine depends very much on the quanlity of the grapes, and it depends on doing a good job in the winery.
Our philosophy
We try to treat our vineyard as nature-friendly as possible. There are many philosophies to choose from when it comes to growing grapes. Organic, biodynamic, natural wine… We have chosen to pick out some principles we believe in. We do not use pesticides in our vineyard, and we cut the grass and the weed under the vines. This is a choice we have made because we do not want any traces of pesticides in the wine. In addition, we use organic methods. Otherwise, we use common sense, and try to grow our grapes as nature-friendly as possible.
The work in the vineyard starts with pruning in January, and then it continues with various work the rest of the season until harvest in September/October. We place great emphasis on tending the vineyard as well as possible – this forms the basis for good wine! You can not make good wine from bad grapes, so it’s important to do a good job the whole season.
Our grapes
Our vineyard consists of Barbera grapes. The location is sunny and southwest facing. Barbera is one of Piedmont’s most famous grape varieties, and it is said that it has its historical roots in this region. Many believe that Barbera is the queen of Piedmont. The grape is very common in our region.
These blue colored grapes give a fresh and fruity red wine, with fresh acidity and low tannin levels. It is a very popular soft and easy-drinking wine.
The seasons in the vineyard
There is a lot happening in a vineyard during all four seasons. In winter, the vines are pruned and get a well-deserved rest. Normally, there are a few snowfalls every year. In the spring, the vines awaken, sprout and begin to grow. This is a busy time in the vineyard. In summer, the vines bloom and the grapes start to grow. There are green vineyards as far as the eye can see. In the autumn, the grapes are harvested, and new vintages of wine are born. The vineyards put on a spectacular display of autumn colors.
Winter and spring in the vineyard
A new season in the vineyard starts with pruning around January. Then all the twigs are removed from the rows and shredded. In March, we bind the branch of each individual vine, to the steel wire.
May, June and July are especially busy months. The vines grow incredibly fast. This is when we do the green harvest. We remove wild shoots from the vines and branches, and go through all the vines twice before the growth calms down. In addition to this, we mowe the grass between the rows and under the vines. Under the vines we cut with grass trimmers. This is because we do not want to use pesticides.
Summer and autumn in the vineyard
In late July, the grapes change color from green to dark blue. During this period, we are thinning grape clusters. Reduced yields give higher quality of the wine. The fewer clusters, the more intense the taste, and thus the better the wine.
Harvesting takes place in September – October in this area. Barbera grapes are usually ripe and ready for harvest around mid-September, but this varies from year to year, depending on the weather and the temperature throughout the season. To find out when the grapes can be harvested, we measure the acidity and sugar levels in the grapes. The grapes are harvested manually. All the grape clusters are picked and placed in boxes, which are then transported into the winery for pressing.