The vinification process
The Nature & Progrès label
Until very recently, European norms guaranteed only that wines were made from ‘organically produced grapes’. It is only since August 2012 that European regulations also placed certain limitations on additives permitted in the vinification process.
The Giachino estate has long been a member of the Nature & Progrès (Nature and Progress) label, which imposes rigorous standards from how the vines are cultivated through to vinification. Thus, we use no additives, with the occasional exception of gaseous sulphites (which is the most natural form).
White wines
The white grapes are pressed slowly and gently using a pneumatic system. The vats are thermo-regulated to 5°C in order to clarify the wine. This process allows us to reduce radically and even to eliminate the use of sulphites, since the wine does not need these additives.
A week to ten days later, we extract the clear fluid, which will ferment with the yeast naturally present in the grapes. The temperature is maintained at 15°C in order to bring out the full aromas.
In the case of our red wines, our Roussettes and certain vats of Jacquère there then follows malolactic fermentation. Once this has finished, we age the wines on the lees until bottling.
Red wines
Our red wines are produced from red grapes containing white juice. The grapes are picked by hand and then the bunches are placed in the vats.
The maceration process lasts for ten to twenty days depending on the grape and vintage. During this period we draw and re-pump the wine daily, taking care not to crush the grapes. Following this maceration process, we withdraw the wine from the vat for pressing.
Gamay is aged in the vat, Mondeuse in barrels (600-litre capacity) on the lees, until bottling
Organic cultivation
Organic cultivation through the seasons
A good wine is the result of a whole year’s work. This is even more so for organically produced wines because we use no additives in the vinification process. The quality of our wines depends directly on the quality of the grape harvest. Here is a quick glimpse of a year of organic agriculture.
Late autumn and winter are devoted to clearing and maintaining the vineyards, pruning and unravelling the vines from their supports and building up protective banks. The end of the winter is when we repair the supporting structures (pickets, wires and fixtures), after which the vines must be bent and attached to the wires.
This is also the period during which we work in the wine cellars – tasks such as bottling and labelling the wines and attending trade fairs.
The sap begins to rise in spring. This is when we see the buds that will form new branches, then the leaves and lastly the flowers that will eventually become grapes. The new growth is susceptible to frosts right through to May, so this is when we work the soil, first creating mounds to protect the base of the vines and then removing them as the risk of frost passes.
As soon as it becomes warmer, the new branches grow very quickly so we need to tie in and prune this new growth, and maintain the grass verges separating each row of vines. Eventually we thin out the grapes since we value quality rather than quantity.
Rains bring the parasites and fungi to which vines are susceptible. We treat these in accordance with our respect for nature. The grapes require enough rain in order to swell, but on the other hand the violent rains and hailstorms that sometimes come at the end of the summer can spell disaster.
The grape harvest
The end of the summer and early autumn are devoted to the grape harvest, the final outcome of a year’s labour. Twelve months of sweat and toil along with taking any number of critical decisions in relation to the weather as well as diseases and parasites – all of these are the key to ensuring a harvest of sweet juicy grapes ...
We take about a month from the time when we start harvesting the early varieties, such as Gamay and Roussette, to the later varieties such as Jacquère and Mondeuse, so that we can be sure that each type of grape is at its ripest.
We pick the grapes by hand because this helps to ensure that they remain at their best through to when they are pressed. Manual harvesting also allows us to sort the grapes and keep only the finest quality. The final product, the wine, depends entirely on the quality of the grapes, so a harvest of good, healthy grapes is the key to a good wine – which is why we do not need to use any additives in the vinification process.