A WALK THROUGH THE VINEYARDS INTO THE WORLD OF WINE WITH ROBERTO GULDENER

Transcription

1 A WALK THROUGH THE VINEYARDS INTO THE WORLD OF WINE WITH

2 Il vino è segno di civiltà e cultura L arte di fare vino è arte di vita e cultura del lavoro Bere vino è arte del piacere Roberto Guldener Wine is a sign of civilisation and culture The art of making wine is the art of life and the culture of work Drinking wine is the art of pleasure Roberto Guldener TERRABIANCA WHAT IS DIFFERENT When we sit down with of a glass of wine, we are invited to dream and philosophize about life, but sooner or later the wine makes us curious and we want to know more. Wine is a highly complex product. Vine-growing and wine making can be divided into 2 quite distinct parts: the vine growing - agronomical phase and the oenological phase. In recent years, the vine growing - agronomical sector has developed dramatically. This is an extremely long process, which is of great importance. Planting a vineyard starts from the vision of the product you wish to create. A bunch of grapes has many peculiarities, and a single type of plant will have numerous variants.

3 At Terrabianca we have 3 main species of vines Sangiovese Cabernet Merlot We also have a small quantity of Canaiolo vines, which is the traditional Chianti Classico species. Sangiovese Cabernet Merlot In order to create an intriguing, unique, refined wine, I selected the vines best suited to our land, which give the most exquisite bouquet and flavours, from among the grape varieties of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot. For each wine the grapes have been combined in different ways creating a range of distinctive wines.. Therefore, each wine produced by Terrabianca is a singular character of its own. The various field blends are called clones. The Terrabianca vineyards and Il Tesoro farm have: 17 different clones of Sangiovese 13 different clones of Cabernet 7 different clones of Merlot 1 grape variety of Canaiolo From planting a new vineyard to harvesting the first grapes takes nearly 3 years. However, a further 7 years are required to balance the soil properly by fertilizing appropriately and cultivating the right grape to plant ratio. In all, 10 years of grinding hard work that allows no room for guesswork or experimentation. First of all you must know exactly what you are doing and then hope for a little help from Mother Nature too. What you give is what you get

4 Nature and the land itself are often a true mystery but they also represent an extraordinary challenge. We already know a great deal about grapevines and how to nourish them, but in a certain sense we are always starting afresh. To explain how a plant grows and develops, we must start from this simple principle: The plant draws water from the soil, it develops stalks, spurs, shoots, canes and leaves. Through its leaves, the plant breathes and develops the grapes. The art of vine-growing all lies in the skill of balancing this growth with just the right pruning and fertilizing. Generally speaking, grapevines seek out the water they need by themselves therefore in my opinion the need for irrigation is disputable where the land is perfectly suited to growing vines, as Terrabianca has proved to be PLANT GROWTH Water Composed of hydrogen and oxygen. (H 2 O) Carbohydrates (sugars) The hydrogen and oxygen in water combine with the carbon in the air, through photosynthesis, to produce those substances called carbohydrates, also known as sugars.. Nitrogen Nitrogen is the main fertilising component for all plants. Together with the fertilisers that are naturally present in the soil (such as potassium, phosphorus, iron etc.), nitrogen produces the chemical energy necessary for the leaf to photosynthesise and produce the fruit and the sugars present in the fruit.

5 The plant draws nitrogen from the soil conveying it to the leaves. This process produces energy that allows the leaf to absorb carbon from the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) present in the air. Then the plant uses the hydrogen and oxygen from water to produce carbohydrates (grapes and sugars). From here spring several of the problems, but also many of the great secrets of vine-growing. Nitrogen is a useful element but only when present in exactly the right quantity strictly necessary to produce the required chemical energy. Should nitrogen exceed that indispensable amount, the plant will produce too many branches, shoots and leaves, and very few grapes. Well balanced plants will yield the right amount of grapes, sugars and colouring agents, and give a nice bouquet and flavour. However, if nitrogen prevails over other substances, the result will be a grassy, bitter tasting wine. Il segreto di un grande vino è la sua armonia, l armonia nel vino inizia con l equilibro nelle vigne e l arte della potatura è l inizio del lavoro nelle vigne un lavoro di competenza, disciplina e passione un lavoro che richiede tanta responsabilità e l accettazione delle regole della natura il rispetto delle regole della natura porta all armonia Roberto Guldener The secret of a great wine lies in its balance A harmony that starts with the balance of the vine itself The starting point of the work in the vineyard is the art of pruning It takes skill, discipline and passion A work of great responsibility Where the rules of Nature must be accepted Respecting Nature s rules leads to harmony and balance Roberto Guldener

6 VINEYARD, PLANTS, PRUNING SPURRED CORDON CORDONE SPERONATO This is the growing system used at both Terrabianca and Il Tesoro. The cordon is the horizontal part of the plant that bears a number of spurs. Therefore, spurred means that the spurs are located along the horizontal part of the plant. The spurred cordon is the set of the two parts THE PLANT CONSISTS OF A vertical cane A horizontal cordon SPURS ARE POSITIONED ALONG THE CORDON Spurs develop in areas known as spur position. A spur is a cane that has been shortened during the winter pruning. There are 4 spurs on all cultivars. THE BUDBURST DEVELOPS ON THE SPUR Buds are divided into: Apical buds Buds or basal buds THE BASAL BUD AND THE APICAL BUD(S) EACH DEVELOP A BRANCH When it is still in its early green stage it is called a shoot When it strengthens and becomes woody in the summertime, it s called a branch LEAVES In their early stage of development, when the leaves are small, they draw energy from the plant As they grow and reach full size, they produce energy for the plant GRAPE CLUSTERS DEVELOP ON THE BUDBURST Our goal is one grape cluster per shoot (branch) KEY WORDS LA PAROLE CHIAVE Spurred cordon Cordone speronato Stalk Fusto Cordon Cordone Spur Sperone Fertile bud Gemma fertile Basal bud Gemma basale Apical bud Gemma apicale Shoot Germoglio Basal branch Tralcio basale Apical branch Tralcio apicale Grape cluster Grappolo Side shoot Femminella Leaf Foglia Plinth Zoccolo

7 THE GRAPES THE LEAF The leaf represents the lungs, the stomach and the intestine of the vine. The leaf is where photosynthesis happens, that is to say it transforms mineral elements into organic substances. During its seasonal development it has a phase of growth, a phase of production and one of withering. The productive life of the leaf lasts from 40 to 70 days depending on the pace of the season. At the end of this productive period it transfers all the substances it contains into the shoot and the grape cluster. It then slowly loses its green chlorophyll and subsequently it often becomes red. Green leaves near to the grape clusters can be removed in order to moderate vegetal and herbaceous flaws in the musts, but this can only be done if the plant is extremely vigorous and unbalanced.. FORMATION OF THE GRAPE CLUSTER The grape clusters form on the nodes found along the shoots on the opposite side to the leaves. Depending on the vine and the pruning carried out, each shoot can bear 1, 2, 3 or 4 grape clusters. The number of grape clusters per plant is planned when pruning is carried out. One cluster per shoot for Sangiovese and two per shoot for Cabernet and Merlot. However, this may vary depending on the clone. Here experience is fundamental, less does not always necessarily mean better. The balance of the plant and of its production in relation to its natural surroundings is very important. GREEN HARVEST In the first few years, when the vine is still not properly balanced, it may produce extra grape clusters. Occasionally in this case, we intervene and remove the extra clusters in what is called the green harvest.

8 Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection. It offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing. Ernest Hemingway BUNCH CLOSING IN THE GRAPE CLUSTER After fertilisation the grapes grow, increasing in dimensions until they touch each other. Bunch closing is the term used to describe the moment when all of the grapes in the cluster are touching each other. VERAISON AND RIPENING When growth has stopped, the grape begins its productive phase. This can also be seen by the naked eye as the colour of green grapes changes from green to yellow and that of red grapes changes from green to a dark violet red. First the grapes produce organic acids (tartaric acid, malic acid, citric acid, etc.), then they produce sugars (carbohydrates). The sugars are formed during veraison, which is to say at the beginning the ripening process. Then the substances that give the grapes their colour develop, followed by those that give the flavours and bouquet. TO DEFINE THE RIGHT MOMENT FOR HARVESTING, A NUMBER OF ANALYSIS ARE USED: the organic acids the sugars colour the flavours and bouquet the maturity of the grape pips the phenolic maturity index. For all these developments a range of factors are important; the work carried out to balance the plants with an ideal microclimate, the optimum temperature change between day and night along with land and soil that provide the perfect conditions and are rich in mineral elements.

9 JANUAR FEBRUAR MÄRZ APRIL MAI JUNI THE WORKING YEAR JANUARY The fixtures and equipment are repaired in the vineyard and pruning begins. In January, all the workers meet to discuss the work for the year and anything new that has come up. Pruning is considered and discussed and this meeting for reflection and planning is closed by tasting the wine from the previous year so as to discover the results of last year s hard work. FEBRUARY This is the perfect time for planting new vines or replacing weak plants. The work of pruning and tying continues. MARCH In March the plants awaken and pruning stops. APRIL The vines begin to grow and this is the last chance to check the fixtures and equipment, work the land between the plants and cut back the new growth of grass. The new season of activity for the vines is announced by the phenomenon of weeping (several drops of water are discharged from the incisions made during pruning). MAY - JUNE - JULY This is the time when close attention must be paid to the growth of the plant and we must begin cleaning the stalk and also part of the cordon of the vine. AUGUST The grapes begin to change colour and their growth is the fruit of our hard work earlier in the year. Preparation for the harvest begins.

10 JULI AUGUST SEPTEMBER OKTOBER NOVEMBER DEZEMBER SEPTEMBER Analysis and weighing of the grapes begins. It is already possible to predict when we may be able to begin the harvest. In a balanced vineyard the harvest may be anticipated or postponed by a week but we must be extremely careful to find just the right moment to begin. To produce a really good wine the grapes must be ripened to precisely the right point. OCTOBER The harvest is underway and we work day and night both in the vineyards and in the winery to bring home the fruits of a year s work. Usually, the harvest will take 32 days but it will be 42 to 44 days before the wine from the last vats is racked. NOVEMBER There is no time to rest. The olives at Terrabianca are ready to be harvested and the air is thick with the perfume of the freshly pressed oil produced from them each year. DECEMBRE Finally the pace slackens a little. Now is the time for repairing machinery and doing maintenance, and also to take a short holiday before the work that must begin in January is upon us again. Roberto Guldener in collaboration with Dr. Remigio Bordini