Something is happening in the vineyard: The Véraison
Today we're learning another winemaker's word that we can use to impress the uninitiated: Véraison . It's pronounced Wäräson (with a soft s). That doesn't look quite as elegant, so we'll stick with the French version. Literally translated, it means maturity - and that's just starting in the vineyards!
We can't get enough of it... because, for once, this chemical process can be seen with the naked eye : the grapes begin to change color. The light green grapes turn dark red, purple or golden yellow. But things are also happening invisibly: the acid is broken down and the aroma and taste develop in leaps and bounds. The tannin in the red grapes is also stirring, which will later play an important role in the taste. And most importantly: the sugar produced in the leaves is now transported to the fruit. This process is also known as sugar ripening.
From an evolutionary perspective, grapes that changed color had a clear advantage because their colorful appearance attracted birds. The birds would nibble on the seductively colored grapes and distribute the berry seeds. Today, however, we winemakers are more likely to be happy if the birds are colorblind.
In these weeks, the weather is once again crucial! We need lots of sun and as little water as possible. Because a vine is a bit like a diamond : the best results only come about under pressure. Our vines need what is known as water stress, otherwise they become too sluggish and don't develop any further (that sounds familiar, doesn't it?). If it rains too much, the grapes soak up water, become watery and eventually burst (at least that doesn't happen to us if we take it easy).
Another thing that will be very exciting this year is that we were fortunately spared from frost, but at the end of May there was another cold snap that froze the grapes ( as we reported ). Nothing happened for a whole week... and now we expect that we will see the harvest at a later date this week. That might give our harvest workers a chance to catch their breath. By the way: we still have a few places available! Anyone who wants to let off steam in the vineyard is welcome to join our crazy, international team! Only those who have already taken part in a grape harvest really appreciate the amount of work that goes into this wonderful drink.
And what is currently happening in the vineyard?
We have started the so-called green harvest of our premium wines . This involves selectively cutting off green grapes so that the plant can concentrate on the remaining grapes. This greatly reduces the quantity, but the quality increases exponentially. The green grapes are not lost, by the way - they fall to the ground and return to the natural cycle. Perhaps they will manage to ripen in a reincarnation next summer...
We also clean like crazy so that everything is hygienically clean and sparkling when the first grapes can be harvested. Our stainless steel tanks in particular are cleaned inside and out, down to the pores, and polished to a sparkling shine.
With so much work, we still don't forget to celebrate. Our annual highlight is just around the corner: From 6th to 9th September we'll be celebrating the Weyher Wine Festival , and you're warmly invited! We'll probably start harvesting the grapes straight after that. This year, as an exception, the wine festival in Kreuztal is taking place at the same time, and our winery will be represented there by senior boss Otmar. It's never happened before that Otmar wasn't home for the Weyher Wine Festival, but we're confident that the people of Kreutzberg won't make us homesick.
Will we see you this autumn in Weyher or Kreuztal?
Your slowly maturing counts
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