The upside to the last years droughts was that we didn’t really have to spray a lot. The spores of downey mildew need rain at first to be catapulted up to the leaves and once they’ve arrived humid conditions to keep spawning. Which they had this year. June was already showing some serious infections on the leaves and as it… Read more →
About seven years ago, when we just had released our first vintage, chef Benedikt Hammerl just had started introducing the new nordic cuisine to Würzburg. And started getting into natural wine which naturally put him in touch with us. Over the years we developed a prolific friendship with me pouring wine for special dinners at his restaurant, the MS Zufriedenheit,… Read more →
In the beginning of May we tend to be ready to go for green pruning. Antonia, Anja, Nina and Sam had arrived in time to get started, no more frost was in sight but – there were simply no shoots to remove. The unusually cold April kept the buds closed and with just a glimpse of green here and there… Read more →
It’s been a slow start in the vineyards. The slowest we’ve experienced since we came back to Kitzingen. The first buds were breaking towards the end of the month, about three weeks later than last year. Days are still chilly, nights are still cold and we keep lacking rain. Nonetheless cherry, plum and apple trees cover the scenery with their… Read more →
When harvest has finished, everything is clean and tidy again, when the days get shorter and shorter and the leaves fall it’s time to start pruning. One of the most challenging and wonderful jobs. For every vine a bunch of small decisions have to be made: “Does it make sense to leave this spur so it develops into an arm… Read more →
A harvest of superlatives is coming to an end. Not only did we have the by far lowest yield ever (with about 15hl/ha) but it was also the longest harvest ever starting end of August lasting until the last days of October. It didn’t start with the usual rush. It actually was a fairly chilled start. We spent the first… Read more →
The decent amount of rain we got in June helped our frost damaged vineyards grow quite a bit. Particularly the flowers we sowed in the baby vineyard. I let them grow high until the vines started becoming invisible to encourage their roots going down. But at some point the green had to be cut or the vines would have vanished… Read more →
Let’s not get started being all whiny but with something cute as June is the month of baby animals. Like this bunny I almost hit with the tractor: After the frost disaster June became a complete reset for us. The vines were in shock and it took them 2-4 weeks until they started growing again. Green-pruning started over again from… Read more →
There have always been late frost nights in the history of farming destroying more or less of the growing harvest. The only thing people could think of in the very past was to dedicate the last dangerous days in the middle of May (11th – 15th) to a couple of saints so they can offer protection. We call them the… Read more →
Planting a new vineyard is a milestone that will last for at least a generation. Deciding about the variety is a major choice. But deciding about where to plant, which distances between rows and vines, the training system and thinking beyond the vineyard as a place of resource production is at least equally important. We’re in the middle of a… Read more →
