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...and everything starts
in the vineyard

From the grape to the wine

Lots of tasks, great care, genuine passion.

Every day is a challenge. Nature and its forces are both friend and foe. The work of our wine growers on the steep slopes and terraces was and is still today hard manual labour.

Discover the winegrowing year in the vineyard.

Pruning the vines

The vines are pruned in the winter months when nature retreats to recharge its batteries. The pruning lays the foundations for our quality-focused production. The real art is finding the correct extent to which to prune the vines - always taking into account the grape variety and quality of the wood.

Binding the vines

After pruning, the fruiting spurs are bent and bound to the existing wire frame system. This step ensures even budding, and the tender shoots can gradually make their way through the wire framework.

“Crying” vines

The winegrowers knows exactly when spring is first on its way. That’s because as soon as the temperatures begin to rise, the vine roots resume their work and start to transport nutritious plant sap to the ends of the vine branches. As a result, fine, shimmering water droplets emerge from the fruiting spurs. The vines appear to be crying.

Budding

The scent of spring is in the air. The first tender buds burst open and small green leaflets begin to appear. As soon as these become larger and the shoot length increases, it is time for the first foliage work to take place.

Shoot thinning

As soon as the first shoots have reached 20 cm long, the first foliage work begins. Weak or duplicated shoots and those that are too close to one another are removed. This rigorous, time-consuming work needs to be done accurately and by hand.

Sowing

During the vegetation phase, if needed, seeds are sown. Clover, broad beans, honey plants, poppies and other plants ensure that the fertility of the soil is enhanced in a natural way, the ground is supplied with nutrients and the diversity of fauna and flora is systematically supported. These plants are an asset for the vines and enhance the general appearance of the vineyard.

breaking off of side shoots

This step precisely regulates the number and distribution of shoots necessary to achieve the desired yield in autumn. This is one of the most important jobs in the vineyard, as it is a prerequisite for good quality grapes come the harvest. At the same time, unnecessary base shoots that grow out of the old wood of the vine are also removed.

Flowering

Flowering at the end of May is a special milestone in the wine year, even though the flowering process in itself is rather unremarkable. If flowering takes place in climatically optimal conditions and without the greatly feared late frosts, we can look forward to a good, fruitful harvest in autumn.

Threading of the shoots

At the start of the summer, when nature reaches its peak performance, the shoots grow several centimetres per week, which is why some of them need to be guided in the right direction. A suitable place in the wire frame system is found for every shoot.

Foliage thinning

In June, depending on the variety, the area around the bunches of grapes is carefully thinned by hand so that every individual grape benefits from more light and air. This reduces the incidence of disease and improves the health of the grapes. A time-consuming job that, however, is well worthwhile.

Mowing

Several times throughout the year, the grass between the vines in the vineyards needs to be mown, in order to prevent an unfavourable microclimate in the area around the grapes. On the terrace-like and steep slopes, this is mainly done with a strimmer. The work is hard and strenuous.

Tip cutting

As soon as the tips of the shoots stretch up high above the top wire and start to bend to the side, the time has arrived for them to be cut back. The tips of the shoots are cut off just above the top of the wire frame system.

Quality control

Every vineyard belonging to the winery’s members is checked several times a year to ensure compliance with its high requirements and quality standards. This takes place in spring or summer and before harvest. In consultation with the member, any improvements needed can be carried out immediately and expertly.

Ripening

The start of the ripening phase is dependent on the weather and location and is apparent from the softening of the berries and/or their changing colour. But not every grape changes colour at the same time. Those grapes on the sunnier side of the vine ripen earlier than those on the shady side.

Harvest

The entire wine growing year is spent working towards the grape harvest. Now every helping hand counts in the vineyards that have been run by families for generations. The harvest is the highlight of the year when the entire family comes together and helps. Harvesting is also painstaking manual labour, as every bunch of grapes must be checked individually.

At last, it's done!

When the precious grapes are finally safely handed over to the care of the Chief Wine Maker, and the journey from the grape to the wine begins, then the relief is enormous. At last it’s time to take a short break, catch our breath and toast the successful harvest together.

Our finest treasures mature here

our wine cellar

In love from the very first mouthful

our range