Resting and tasting
09. November 2009 | 11:26
Grey and wet autumn weather depress a winemaker's mood, especially if he has not finished harvesting is yet. In the vineyards delicious grapes are waiting to be harvested while the humid autumn mists and small showers prevented us from bringing these treasures into the cellar.
Patients and a cool head very important qualities if you want to make a good wine.
The time spent waiting for the ideal moment can be bridged by tasting the wines which have already finished fermentation or are still in the process.
My personal opinion: tasting young wines is exciting and wonderful, drinking them is not always a good idea.
Young wines can be fresh and expressive on the nose, full of fruit and yeast aromas, seductive.
I myself prefer wines which have been vinified carefully and have clarified due to the natural sedimentation of the yeast. Still, our Grüner Veltliner "leicht und trocken" (L+T) 2009 will be on the market in December, the market demands it some clients want these easy and seductive wines. For a winemaker this is a dilemma. On the one hand one is delighted to sell wines and take in some money for future investments in the cellar, on the other hand one is attached to wines which have had the time to rest on the yeast after fermentation in order to develop their character slowly before being bottled.
At the moment our harvesters can rest and can taste the first wines of the current harvest. For drinking we prefer more mature vintages.
As soon as the grapes have dried off the harvest will continue.
