WHAT HAPPENS IN THE VINEYARD IN AUGUST

In July, the vines were tended to, and the grape clusters were cleaned to allow for good air circulation, and phytosanitary treatments are suspended.

During the first two weeks of August, the vines are left to rest because it is the hottest period of the year, which enables the proper development of both aromatic and sugar and polyphenolic maturation.

After these weeks of rest, two interventions are carried out. In red wines, thinning is performed to harmonize the quantity of grapes borne by the vines, preventing the plants from being overloaded with excessive production and avoiding excessive concentration of substances within the grape cluster. A selection is made to reharmonize the production load.

For white grapes, depending on how the first two weeks of August progress, the approach to harvest begins. Initial sampling starts to determine the sugar content, total acidity, and pH to follow the path towards perfect aromatic, polysaccharide, and sugar ripening. In the final weeks, there is always the hope for some rain to refresh the plants from thermal shock and, above all, to extend the ripening times because Usiglian del Vescovo works with slow ripening.

Historically, the harvest begins in the last week of August with the collection of the first part of Sangiovese, which will be used to produce the base sparkling wine for Bruvè.

Soon after, depending on the weather conditions, between the last week of August and the very beginning of September, the white grapes are harvested for the production of Ginestraio.

August concludes with the start of the most beautiful phenomenon in a winery, the harvest, the crucial moment when all the efforts of a year are concentrated in the fateful moment of choosing the harvest, that is when to pick the grapes that are perfect for the wines that one intends to produce.

This post is also available in: Italian