Footwork in the cellar

Once the grapes are in the tank, the manual work – or rather, the footwork – begins. Twice a day I step into the fermenting mash and carefully tread the grapes. What floats on top is pushed down. The liquid from the bottom comes back to the top. With my feet I feel where the mash is not yet well mixed and which grapes are not yet properly pressed out. The movements are slow and purposeful, because kicking too wildly releases the bitter substances from the berries.

After just under three weeks, the fermentation is finished, I press out the rest of the liquid and separate the liquid from the marc. Like every year, I am excited!