In the wine cellar, the only thing available is what the grapes bring from the vineyards.
In the best red wine vineyards, we reduce the amount of grapes harvested by cutting the branches very short during winter and summer reducing the quantity of grapes („vendage vert"). The harvest is done completely manually and partly in several passes.
his work usually starts beginning of October and continues until mid November.
Particular care is taken to eliminate grapes, which are not totally mature
or damaged. At the same time remaining branches are removed from the grapes.
The fermentation follows the traditional way of making the mash.
After approx. 14 days the young wine is pressed and after a short time in
steel tanks, where the yiest remains, moved to wooden barrels.
This is where the final fermentation (malolaktische Gärung) takes place.
This is where the apple acidity turns into mild lactid acid and the wine
is enriched with mildness and stoutness.
The final vinification process is always done using wooden barrels (Barrique).
However, for some of the lighter red wines old and used barrels are used
instead.
The top quality wines are usually aged in new - depending on the type of
grape - Barrique barrels. In the case of Spätburgunder e.g. we are
using 30% - 50% new barrels, in the case of Dornfelder or Cabernet up to
100%. The aging process in the barrels is somewhere between 15 to 20 months.
Bottling starts in September before the harvest of the year after the next.
