Practices

‘A good wine necessitates a good vine,’ Vasilis Hatziemmanouil often says. He believes that one cannot create quality labels if they do not love their vineyards. Since he was a young child he learned how to take care of the vineyards, protecting them from vine diseases, recognising their needs and also, how to grow them at a gentle, sustainable pace. There are two main stages involved in the agricultural work throughout the year, those of pruning and harvesting.

The pruning

In early autumn, shortly after the end of the harvest, the leaves fall and the vines gradually enter a lethargic phase. Around January, when the grapevines are completely dormant, the pruning begins. The whole vine is carefully cut and the thick trunk remains, from where the new shoots will begin to sprout. In late spring, when the vine has grown big enough, it is time to choose which shoots will be removed and which will be kept to yield the grapes.

The harvest

The harvest is the most important link in the production of wine. At the end of July and the beginning of August, the process of harvesting the grapes begins. In the early morning hours, the bunches are diligently cut and placed into crates of limited capacity, so as to not get squashed or damaged. Afterwards, they are quickly transferred to the winery and depending on the variety, they either end up in the press or in the wine vat. The grapes that are intended for sweet wine are the exception, as they are laid out to dry in the sun, until they become almost raisins and are rid of most of their juices.