"The
wine
grows in the vineyard", the wine-growers often say. As far as
Martin Nigl is concerned, this hits the nail right on the head. As
regards white wine in particular, the work accomplished in the
vineyards is absolutely essential, since wine is unforgiving of the
slightest error. Consequently the wine-grower inspects his vineyards
nearly every day in order to make crucial decisions about pruning, pest
control, watering, thinning out grapes and vintage all at the
appropriate time.
Meanwhile, it looks as if Martin Nigl is familiar with all of his vines, with their history, their strengths and weaknesses: "Just by drinking a glass of mature wine, you can tell if all the work in the vineyards has been carried out properly, whether the wines have been well looked after or have suffered." If this is so, then this wine-grower certainly cares well for his wines.
It takes about 1 to 1.5 months to pick all the grapes as the vineyards have to be monitored several times for vintage to ensure that only the ripest grapes are collected. It goes without saying that the grapes are picked by hand.
The
process of cultivating white wines in steel casks is an absolute must -
even though the most impostant development obviously takes place in the
vineyards. The wine cannot be improved in the wine-cellar but is
preserved, which in itself demands great care.
