We are currently harvesting the “black” grapes (Sangiovese, Canaiolo & Merlot) which we use for our red wine.

According to our calculations, we will produce about 250,000 liters of red wine which translates in t 333,000 bottles!

Fortunately the weather has been on our side and the wine harvest is going at a great speed, especially because we are using, where possible, our new harvesting machine that we attach to the back of a tractor and pull through the vines.

We purchased this new machine this year.  It is Volentieri-Pellenc.  It can harvest between 25,000 and 30,000 kg (55,000/66,000 lbs) of grapes per day.

The new mechanical harvester allows us to improve the quality and the quantity of the grapes that arrive in the wine cellar and reduces the amount of manual labor becaue of the 2 tanks that collect the grapes and holds them until it arrives at the end of the row where it then unloads into a large cart.

The grapes harvested have already had the stems removed by the harvesting machine but once they arrive in the wine cellar, they are still put into the distemmer machine to remove any leaves and stems that remain.

The first wine, called “vno novello”, will be ready in November where you will find amny celebrations around Italy, especially here in the Chianti.  Siena has their own parties as well. For the more mature wine, we will have to wait until the springtime to bottle it.