September is “back to work” month, holidays come to a close and the first signs that Autumn is on its way begin to emerge. It is also one of our favorite periods of the year: it is harvest time. It is a beautiful moment to live in the countryside, in contact with nature, where the many professionals who collaborate with us at Tenuta Polvaro immerse themselves in their vocation, with passion and dedication, completing the first steps that lead to Tenuta Polvaro’s signature wines.
To herald this festive occasion, we are very pleased to announce that Tenuta Polvaro wines have been awarded by the Gran Premio Internazionale del Vino MUNDUS VINI 2021. This not only fills us with joy and pride, but confirms the quality of our products, among thousands of top wines from all over the world.
The Tenuta Polvaro Gold IGP Trevenezie vintage 2020, the Tenuta Polvaro Merlot D.O.C. Venezia vintage 2018, the Tenuta Polvaro Cabernet Sauvignon D.O.C. Venezia vintage 2018 and the Tenuta Polvaro Prosecco D.O.C. Rosé Extra Dry vintage 2020, rose to the top of the podium with gold medals. Silver medals were awarded to the Tenuta Polvaro Pinot Grigio D.O.C. Venezia vintage 2020, the Tenuta Polvaro Prosecco D.O.C. Brut and the Tenuta Polvaro Chardonnay D.O.C. Venezia vintage 2020. In short, what better way to start the harvest than with positive energy and enthusiasm?
The harvest
“This year the grape harvest began a few days later than anticipated because the vegetative phase took longer than expected. Nature decides when the time is right.”.
The harvest is a team effort commonly known as the collection phase. But it starts well before, and this process is the result of many aspects and evaluations that play a decisive role in the final realization of a unique and quality wine. Among these, the fertile soil and its organoleptic properties, the climate, the physical and chemical conditions of the grapes, the geographical area and, last but not least, the human factor, translate into the experience of the agronomist and the winemaker who have collaborated since the first moment to make the right choices as they envisage the wine they hope to be obtained.
This year the grape harvest began a few days later than anticipated because the vegetative phase took longer than expected. Nature decides when the time is right. Although our own duties are centered around the business development facet, we like to follow the steps that precede and follow the harvest along with the entire team. This ancient-old ritual brings with it a special sense of charm, season after season.
The timing of the harvest is crucial. The key is to obtain the right grape ripeness through daily visual, gustatory and laboratory analysis (eg.. evaluation of the sugar component and acidity). For this reason, the winemaker and agronomist’s duties are aligned at an all year high, deciding together when to give the whole team the green light.
Generally the whites are harvested in the first ten days of September and the reds – depending on the blend – few weeks later until reaching, at the latest, the beginning of October.
At Tenuta Polvaro we use state-of-the-art grape harvesters, equipped with extremely advanced sensors, ideal for protecting plants and increasing the quality of the harvest. Instead, we reserve the hand picking for a selection of grapes destined for our premium wines, in order to offer a product of even greater value. Speaking of quality, we will dedicate a separate story to the training system, which (especially for our Merlot) deserves special mention with regard to the level of sophistication and care.
The harvest takes place in the very early hours of the morning or during the night, when the cool temperature naturally favors the maintenance of all the qualities and aromatic components of the grapes.
This is definitely the most intense moment in the production of a wine, where the work of a whole year must be preserved and enhanced. The enthusiasm derived from this moment of “fruit gathering” should also be palpable. As we write, today’s harvest commences in the cellar where a new phase and various processing rituals commence. But this is a new chapter to tell.
