Winery Costadoro: Vineyards and Winery

The Vineyards

'Good wine depends on the vine.' is an old vinegrowers' saying. In effect no person, machine or additive can produce a wine which is better than the quality of the grapes harvested. The wine, then, depends on the countryside where it is produced, even before it reaches the cellar.

A fundamental role is played by the 'terroir', as the French call it, a term which they have exported worldwide. The terroir is an ensemble of factors -geographical, climatic, geological and biological (the grape variety) - which is unique and unrepeatable. So, before getting to know a wine it is important to know its roots. And in Costadoro Estate, in Bardolino, there is all of this.

What we find in our wineglass is nothing but grape juice which has been transformed by fermentation, cellar work and time. As already mentioned, no technology is capable of changing a mediocre grape into a great wine, so it is the quality of the grapes which holds the key to the production of great bottles of wine.

The grape harvest is the most important event of the year; the day of reckoning after twelve months of hard work. It is not easy to choose the right moment for the harvest. This depends, firstly, on the grape variety and the type of wine which is to be made from it.

As grapes ripen there is a gradual increase in sugars (which will be transformed into alcohol) and a resulting decrease in acidity. The vinegrower's decisions will depend on this.

In order to ascertain the right moment for the harvest sample bunches are picked and sugar and acidity levels are measured with a hydrometer and a refractometer. But with one ear cocked for the weather forecast; wet grapes cannot be harvested because the rainwater is bad for the must (juice) composition.

Recent research has identified another element which is important to take into consideration when deciding when to harvest the grapes, especially when the grapes are to be used for red wine. This is the maturity or 'state of health' of the polyphenolics, substances which are essential to the colour and structure of red wine. The balance of a wine is the result of a number of factors; it may, therefore, be counterproductive to pick the grapes late in order to raise the sugar levels if this delay has a negative influence on the polyphenolics.

The wine Cellar

As soon as the grapes have been picked they are taken to the cellar. Those destined for use in red wine are first pressed, using equipment which crushes the grapes without ruining the skin and without crushing the pips (which hold most of the polyphenolics which are so important for red wine). The grapes are destalked - the stalks are separated from the pressed grapes because they are rich in plant tannins.

The must or juice is then transferred to the fermentation vessel which is filled to four-fifths of its capacity. The correct dose of sulphur dioxide is added besides having an anti-oxidant and disinfectant role also helps to dissolve the colorants contained in the skins.

The temperature is brought to around 28-30° C (depending on the type of grape and the winemaker's decision) and at this point fermentation begins, marked by the gurgling of carbon dioxide. This is the 'active' stage: the solids, pushed upwards by the gas, start to surface and form a layer called the cap on top of the wine. This cap has to be continually broken to stop it from oxidising on contact with the air and to help heat disperse. This operation is known as punching down and is repeated several times a day over a number of days. It may be done by hand in small vessels, using a stick called a punch, or in large vessels where pumps are used to take the must from the bottom of the container and feed it in from the top. This operation is referred to as pumping over.

When the daily measurements (which are usually carried out in the morning and the evening) show that the percentage of alcohol in the must has stabilised, the fermentation is over. The must will definitely contain a certain quantity of sugars, but the yeasts are worn out and weak and unable to continue their work. Now, however, the wine which results is turbid and full of gas and solids. The liquids must therefore be separated from the solids. This stage is referred to as clarification.

After this operation is concluded the wine is clear and clean and may be transferred to steel vessels if the wine is to be drunk young or to wooden barrels if it is to be aged.

Often, especially for wines which are to be aged, the alcoholic fermentation is followed by malolactic fermentation, a process which transforms malic acid into lactic acid, thereby softening the wine.

The Selling Point

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