"This vintage is sublime!" 🍷

Have you ever heard this expression? What does it mean?

Does it sound like snobbery? No at all.
What makes this possible? Lots of reasons, one in particular.
Did I experience sublime and the opposite? Yes.

There are a lot of elements that conjure the make of a great wine, one of these is the harvest, where the magic begins (or is completed).

Between August and October, all the months of hard work in the vineyard come together.
It’s not just picking grapes, it’s about timing, observation, and precision to define the year’s vintage.

🍷 Every vintage is different. You have probably heard someone say: “The vintage XXXX wasn’t the best for this wine.” Sometimes weather takes a turn for the worse at the end of the growing season and can even result in a bad vintage (meaning bad wine).

Why it matters?
Farmers and oenologists monitor the grapes closely, tasting and tracking sugar, acidity, and tannin levels to answer the ultimate question: are they ready?

Winter shapes the next vintage:
Cold & wet → slower growth, higher acidity, fresher wines.
Warm & dry → faster ripening, fuller body, but sometimes less balance.

Harvesting choices:
By hand: careful, precise, ideal for fragile or premium grapes. Time-consuming, labor-intensive, and more expensive.
By machine: Vines are shaken, berries collected quickly. Fast, efficient, great for large or flat vineyards, but less selective.

From vineyard to winery, speed is critical.
Grapes travel quickly, in small crates or sometimes in refrigerated containers, to avoid oxidation and preserve quality.

How do we harvest in Sicily?
97% of vineyards are farmed organically and sustainably, often without irrigation systems.
Hand-picked grapes dominate, especially in smaller or steep, terraced vineyards, like those around Mount Etna.

Most importantly, experienced, dedicated winemakers and farmers, turn grapes into great stories to taste and that I am proud to share. 🍇