Wine Diary
Orange Skin
The most important decision for a winegrower to make, I believe, is picking the perfect moment for harvesting. A few days too early and one doesn’t exploit the full potential of the grapes, which is a shame.
A few days too late is no better, and some vineyards and varieties will punish this tardiness with a loss of lightness and fruit.
This is the situation in Langenlois right now, during the weekend of 24th and 25th September, as the Pinot family (Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, St Laurent) is beginning to develop a shriveled “orange skin”, which can already be observed on some berries.
This is a sign that the harvest has to be stepped up, even if the pips are not yet coloured brown.
Too much waiting now would produce aromas of sweet jam, which are not desirable in Kamptal wines.
So we invite all harvesters to be ready for the drive into the vineyards at the crack of dawn.
Funnily enough, some Pinot Gris grapes share a single vine with Pinot Blanc. The photo attached comes from our Spiegel Pinot Gris. This kind of mixture, Pinot Blanc and Gris on the same vine, exists on plenty of vines. In terms of taste, the two varietals cannot be told apart with eyes closed.