The Winemaking Year

The winemaking year starts in early January with the pruning. As the vine flowers on new wood, much of last year's wood must be taken out. At Warden we prune to the Double Guyot (two arm) system so two of last year's branches are left, as is a spur in case of damage to the main arms; all else is cut out and burnt.

During April when the sap is rising, the branches become pliable so can be tied down and soon afterwards the new growth starts to appear. The time of flowering is ruled by the weather but usually happens in late May or early to mid June and we pray hard for still, warm and sunny days. The vine during the summer puts on growth and this is kept under control, the side shoots tied in whilst the top growth is trimmed, so that the rows take on a hedge-like appearance. During August, leaves round the bunches are taken off to allow for both sun and wind to get to the grapes.

Harvest is about 100 days from the time of the flowering so it tends to be mid to late October. One hopes for warm days through September: an "Indian Summer" every year would be wonderful. During September the grape sugar is measured; this gives an indication of alcohol strength (we aim for 10.5/11º) and the grape is chewed; the mouth is still the best way in which to judge phenolic ripeness (are the tannins and skins ripe?).

Harvest is fun and we have a very loyal band of pickers. The grapes, in a year of plenty, are kept separate so that each variety can be made as an individual batch. After gentle pressing in a hydraulic press the juice is chilled and allowed to rest, ensuring that any solid bits settle out. The clean juice is transferred to another tank, the temperature is raised to about 16º and cultured yeast added. Fermentation is slow to ensure the flavours are not lost. If acidity is too high the alcoholic fermentation can be followed by a malolactic fermentation (a reduction of malic acid); after this the wine is allowed to rest with minimal interference; before bottling there is a light filtration and the wine is ready for sale. We do not always release our wines straight after bottling as we find that they are often much better after a 6-18 month period.