Wine Diary
Exciting Harvest Days!
Perfect pinot noir right before a short rain break
These are fulfilling, exciting days in a vintner's life, and it makes us even more happy whenever we manage to share some of them with our friends! Some groups of dear guests were visiting us and got a vivid impression of our work in these last golden early autumn weeks. Yesterday, for instance, we started in the vineyards: On Käferberg people marvelled at the meticulous hand picking of our noble Pinot Noirs, especially at how patiently each shrivelled, burst or moldy berry was removed from the grape bunch before it was allowed to wander into the bin. Those 25 kg harvest bins are set up on special trolleys, which can easily be pulled along the rows. This saves the pickers' energy and eases the strain on their backs while grapes land more gently and the bottom of the bin stays clean.
On the way back to the winery we could observe some tractors in already harvested vineyards mulching or bringing out the autumn sowing between the vines: well, after harvest is before harvest and during picking time the beginning and the end of two vintage cycles actually intertwine!
We have followed the path of the grapes to the cellar where weight, origin and quality of each lot is registered in our cellar book, before white grapes will be pressed (we saw great Grüner arrive!) and our Pinot Noir will make its way (destemmed or in whole bunches) into wooden fermenters.
Behind the presses a nice place was found to sit and taste must and wine while enjoying the view of a calm sunset on sites like Loiserberg, Steinmassl or Käferberg before saying goodbye to our visitors.
Now, we may relax a day or two due to a little cold and wet front streaming in.
