2024 Pinot Gris journey from vineyard to winery

Imagine you are a little bunch of Pinot Gris grapes. It is February 2024 and the growing season is closing.  The days of careful canopy management and the regular tingling sprays of sulphur mist, arresting disease, are complete.

We bathe in warm sunlight.  The human feeling is akin to lying on grass or on warm sand at the beach.  We are absorbing the surroundings and allowing time to pass in carefree space.  Our small berries are starting to swell with thick, sweet juice.  We are shrouded in protective white netting.  From a distance, it appears as a cloth but up close, the nets resemble a bride's vale.   The netting is a protective shield from the birds.

It is only a few weeks until we will be picked.  The vine rows are alive with the hues of lush jade greens, with shades of lime green waxing and waning when the dappled light pierces our canopy in the gentle afternoon breeze.  The expansive vibration of the vineyard is high, and the humidity is now stable as we wait for vintage.

Harvest day has arrived and it is 6.30AM The tractor crew is cautiously removing the nets and we can see the car headlights of the picking crew arriving.  Soon we will be harvested by youthful hands and transported to the winery.  We are as cold as the morning, 11 degrees celsius.

At the winery, we are tipped onto the sorting table then crushed and chilled before we reach the press. We rest chilled for 3 days to release the tannins from our skins.  Once pressed, our juice is sent to the dark underground cellar where it is poured into puncheons.  As pure and vibrant juice, it waits for the natural yeasts to ignite then slowly and calmly, it ferments under the careful watchful eyes of the winemakers.

Enjoy our wondrous journey with a glass of chilled Stefano Lubiana Pinot Gris with your favourite food.