It was good to be back in the vineyard and to witness the latest progression in the life cycle of the vine.
I was standing in the vineyards of Weingut Fünfschilling, a family owned winery that has been making wine using their own grapes since 2007. The vineyards surround the winery on the sun drenched hills of Fischingen, where they grow a wide variety of grapes, including Muskateller, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gutedal (Chasselas) and Spätburgunder.
Presently the vines are covered with an abundance of leaves which during the course of the next few weeks will be trimmed and thinned back in order to allow these young clusters of potential grapes to begin the next stage of their development.
As you can see from my picture of the juvenile Muskateller grapes, the flowering phase has passed and fruit set is progressing well.
The next transition that these grapes will be subjected to is a natural process called Veraison, where the grapes begin to change colour and is the onset of the ripening process. It is one of the most dramatic sights to see in the vineyard. This usually occurs around the end of July, beginning of August.
For further details about Weingut Fünfschilling please follow the link below:
