News from 18/02/2020

As the 2019 vintage rests and starts the ageing process in the cellar, the winemakers are busy outside, secateurs in hand, to prepare for the 2020 vintage.  In the mind-set of a winemaker, the start to a new year, means it’s time to get out into the vineyard and prune the vines.

Pruning involves cutting away the old branches from last year, leaving just one or two that will produce the fruit-bearing branches this year.  The number of branches left varies depending on the pruning method used.  It’s a long and manual task, which can take up to 3 months to complete depending on the size of the winery.  But it’s a very interesting and important job as it lays the foundation for the new vintage.  The next Gourmet Odyssey Discovery Experience Days will cover this subject in more detail to better understand the role of this vital step in producing quality wines.

The early arrival of spring-like temperatures means that the winemakers need to hurry to finish pruning before the vines waken from their winter hibernation mode.  The risk of frost damage is increased in such weather conditions. 

The first tasting of the 2019 wines suggest a promising year in terms of quality.  We’re keeping our fingers crossed that all of the Gourmet Odyssey winemakers who are working so hard at the moment pruning, will have favourable climatic conditions to produce as good a wine at least in 2020 as in 2019.  Often the wine is exceptional every five years: 2015, 2010, 2005…  A year to follow closely then!

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