Montalcino Report

Drying of the grapes for Vin Santo

Yesterday, I posted my father's notes on the Trebbiano and Malvasia that we picked yesterday and that will be used to make our Vin Santo.

After the grapes are picked, they are situated on these mats made out of reeds.

Then the workers hang the mats as in this photo and the grapes will dry in the "vinsantaia" until December. Note how the windows in the vinsantaia will provide natural aeration for the "appassimento" or "drying" of the grapes. 

Here's a video of the grapes being situated on the mats. 

Once the grapes have made their "appassimento", in other words, when they have dried properly, they will be vinified and the wine will be aged in "caratelli", small barrels used for the production of Vin Santo.

Here are the caratelli from the 2007 vintage for the Vin Santo of Il Poggione.

Harvest of Trebbiano and Malvasia for Vin Santo

Here are notes of my father about the harvest of Trebbiano and Malvasia for Vin Santo. Tomorrow I will post more photos and a YouTube video but now we are all very tired from harvesting!

Today, we have harvested the Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes to make the Vin Santo. We have waited the most possible, because of the dry progression of the season, so that the grapes would ripen even more on the vine. Our workers have harvested the healthy and most ripe grape bunches. They were placed in crates and transported by truck to the vinsantaia. The grapes were placed on reed mats where they will remain to dry at least until the beginning of December.

Fabrizio Bindocci