I work hard in the summer to ensure a good outcome in the autumn…
The vines on the landscape of the Langhe are splendid sights that enchant tourists and locals alike. They are like geometric drawings that contrast with the usual disordered growth of nature.
The Langhe became a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the hills lined with these rows. Not even nature could have designed them in such a harmonious way.
As it turns out, this exquisite orderliness, these graceful curves that follow the hills, and all the vines’ glory is the product of SO MUCH WORK!
Summer is one of the most challenging times of the year when you’re preparing to begin harvesting your vineyards in September. There are many jobs to do, including many that must be done daily to allow the vines to grow well and the grapes to ripen properly. Suppose you take a summer trip to the Langhe and Monferrato regions. In that case, you will experience the vineyards as a luxurious, verdant landscape that shows off its foliage without shame.
I find that walking or driving in the middle of these places gives you a boost of energy! For the farmers, though, there are no days of celebration during this period. Instead, days worry about storms, too much heat, or too much rain. Every vine is like an unborn child: the farmers care for it, nurture it, help it grow, and then they are rewarded at harvest time!
When a vine has been looked after with love, it results in a superior wine! Our farmers are more than aware of this.
Here are the stages of processing that take place throughout July and August:
Laying down the branches so that the workers can successfully pass between the rows for the various harvesting tasks.
Applying fungicides, especially useful to ward off the Peronospera infection (the primary disease to fight, as it affects the picking), Oidium (gray malodorous mold, which can quickly affect the whole vineyard), Botrytis (“gray rot,” which affects the quality of the vines) and Black rot (a typical fungal disease that comes at the end of July
, which causes the
grapes to brown and rot entirely in a short time).
Removing the shoots consists of cutting off the bottom part of the shoots and is done to contain the excessive growth of the vegetation and t
o, promote the formation of new leaves, which are helpful in the clusters.
Mowing the grass is very important to allow all the farming equipment to pass between the vines’ rows, but even more critical to ensure parasites don’t develop.
They remove the grape leaves to allow the sun’s rays to pass through to the leaves and ensure that the grapes develop lushly and healthily.
We think this “mini-lesson” on the basics of agriculture might make you want to extend warm thanks to our talented farmers! We will see you in September to see if 2018 can be defined as an excellent year.
And the next time you drink wine, think about how much work that glass contains!
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