From vineyard to cellar

Given the elevated risk of downy mildew, providing more light and air seemed like the right thing to do. Then we had a few extremely hot days and in the blink of an eye, the grapes were sunburned...yes, this also happens to grapes.

That’s how it goes in agriculture sometimes: no matter what you do, it’s wrong. In all, the whole thing is not a major drama; just an irritating little marginal note.

In some sites, downy mildew caused more damage than I originally thought. We’re doing the last spraying now, and then that’s it for this year.

With regard to quantity, I’m now willing to venture a definite prognosis. More than in 2010, but less than in 2011 – or, to put it simply – not enough to completely fill the cellar. That’s really a shame. Here in the Rheingau, I’ve already seen the first Spätburgunder grapes beginning to take on color. However, a lot of the clusters are still quite compact, and I sincerely hope that they won’t become infested with rot. If the weather stays more or less decent, we’ll have a good harvest. If not, we’ll be dancing on eggshells.

Nevertheless, with every passing day, I’m relatively convinced that 2012 will be a very typical vintage, somewhere between 2002 and 2004. Solid, pleasant, traditional, and quiet. Time will tell whether I’m off base or right on target...

Best regards,

Dirk Würtz, estate manager