Harvest Report: August Kesseler

The team at August Kesseler share their news of the latest vintage direct from the domaine.

“Once again, the time has come! This year our harvest team set off rather early and we have actually already started harvesting the grapes.” “Over the coming weeks our sole focus will be the grapes and the weather. Will it hold? What vineyard do we harvest first? What grapes will we let hang for a couple more days? These are the decisions we take on our daily trips through the vineyards from Lorchhausen to Eltville and we are not just thinking of the refractometer (that measures the weight of the must) but also taking a good look at the grapes themselves. Above all, we give them a try! The most important resources for any winemaker are his taste buds and his experience.”

“As strenuous as autumn might well be, it is always a special time down in the wine cellar. Only then does loud music reverberate through the two-storey cellar hewn into the rock face; and everyone is free to choose his preference, from ABBA to Zappa - whatever! The main thing is to keep the wine cellar crew happy.”

“Only in the evening (sometimes even at night) once the last grapes have been pressed, when the cellar is clean and tidied up again and the crew are relaxing with an evening beer, busy on planning the next day, it is then that you hear it: the fermenting in the vats, this heart-warming sound that can only be heard once a year – to the accompaniment of that powerful and delicate scent of the must.”

Discover the full range of August Kesseler wines, including the stunning new 2016 vintage, online at Justerinis.com