Our work
1) Winter pruning – from November to March
One of the most important jobs for the care of our vineyards, because it determines the quantity and quality of the grapes in the next harvest, but also keeps the plant healthy.
We work in 2 phases: Franco, an expert in this, cuts the old shoots (1 year old branches of the vine) and leaves the new ones where the grapes come from. Iwona, with the grace of her, by pulling eliminates the cut shoots, leaving them in the middle of the vineyard rows where, passing by tractor, they will be chopped. This allows us to use it as a natural fertilizer for the vineyard
2) Tying the vines – March
After pruning, we must tie the remaining canes of vine for the uniform development of the shoots and make the production balanced. We do this work by hand, delicately stroking the remaining canes, bending them to the desired position and tying them with a ribbon wrapped in paper.
3) “Su.kering”, so-called green pruning – April, May
The shoots that grow in the leg of the vine, the base of the old wooden stem, must be removed. The shoots called “su.kers” will not produce the fruit, grapes, but only take away energy from the vine, which it needs to grow grapes for the harvest. We do this work by hand, even if our vines are “old” to stay in contact with the plant and make it feel our love for it, returned. Work done by hand is slower and more uncomfortable, but it gives us the satisfaction and precision that only man can do.
4) Weed cleaning – June
We remove the so-called weeds, wild herbs which are born in our vineyard and they annoy the vine by taking away nutrients, water, light and space as well as favoring the spread of parasites. In order not to use pesticides (chemicals) we prefer to do this work with the machinery called inter-vine, which helps us remove the weeds with their roots to make the vine grow in full respect of nature.
The work of a winemaker is not easy, but this is what we have chosen to do in our life. We want to do it in the best way for our customers, who sometimes even become our friends. We like to see their smile of appreciation when they taste our wine, it relieves us from the fatigue of everyday work.
OUR WINE
The first step of the wine production cycle is the harvest. We do it as someone can say in an “Ancient” way, exclusively by hand. This type of harvest is much more accurate as it used to be, as it allows you to make a choice of bunches to be picked based on the ripeness and integrity of the berries.
WHITE WINES
After the harvest, we proceed to the pressing. We don’t do it like they did a long time ago when farmers crushed grapes in barefoot bins. Today, immediately after the harvest, we carry out the soft pressing. This very gentle crushing makes it possible to extract the “first drop” juices which will be the essence of our best wines. Then comes the fundamental step in the production of our white wines: decantation.
RED WINES
Immediately after the harvest, we carry out the soft pressing using a mechanical crusher for a perfect and delicate separation of the berries and the stalks in order to maintain a high level of quality of the crushing. The must with the skins is immediately transferred to the large tanks
The fermentation can last around 15 days, but it can also be prolonged when it comes to more complex wines. It is during this biochemical process that the sugar contained in the must gradually transforms into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Vinification follows a different procedure depending on the type of wine to be obtained. If the must is not fermented, we have sweet wines. To obtain dry wines, the must already separated from the marc is left in total fermentation (0 sugars) then filtered. To obtain rosé wines, without a doubt, we do not mix red wine with white wine, but we keep our process secret.
Red wine is obtained by fermenting the must as a result of the maceration with the skins, which release the typical red color, as well as tannins, seeds, and once, stalks. Today, the stalks are removed much earlier, otherwise they would release the classic tangy taste, called “green”.
It consists in decanting the wine, purified from the solid residues and the marc that remain at the bottom of the tanks, into the barrels, where a second fermentation and a further transformation of the residual sugar takes place. All this, takes place at a temperature of around 22 ° C. At this point, the red wines are ready to be bottled, and for some the aging begins, which can last from 1 to many years depending on the result we want to obtain. Red wine is obteined by a long maceration on the skins, which enhances all the varietal characteristics. The skins are then returned to the vineyard as a natural compost, closing the circle.
Team
Franco Valsania
