This advanced harvest begin is the result of the extraordinary weather we've been experiencing this year. Due to the mild springtime temperatures, the vines blossomed extremely early. Fortunately, however, the inconstant and cool weather in July partially counteracted the accelerated ripening process. High summery temperatures allowed the grapes to achieve an optimal degree of ripeness in the last weeks before the harvest. The rule of thumb that a hundred days are necessary between the blossoming and the harvest to make first-class wines was met and exceeded, with more than 105 days. During that period of time, the vines were able to absorb a great deal of mineral substances from the soil.
The harvested grapes were unusually beautiful and healthy this year. The grapes are healthy, physiologically fully ripe, with a deep flavor, intense color, and with most varieties of a smaller size. The already fermented white wines display excellent olfactory intensity and fullness, but above all else we are looking forward to an excellent vintage of red wine.

Of course, we are concerned about the gradual shifting forward of the harvest season – a distinct sign of continuing global warming which we are observing in our own vineyards. Thus, days of extreme heat lead to increased sunburn. The plants are exposed to extreme conditions of heat and cold. New, unknown species of pests and additional generations of the Grapevine Moth are appearing. Vintners who want to ensure high quality in view of these conditions have just one option: to increasingly follow Nature's laws. In order to be able to produce wines with the same stylistics even with the higher average temperatures expected in 50 years, we have been experimenting in our vineyards for some time now with varieties originating from more southern, hotter cultivation regions – e.g., with Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Tannat, Mouvedre, and Syrah from the Rhône Valley or with the Greek Assyrtiko. Another measure will be to shift cultivation to higher altitudes – an alternative not available in every cultivation region and a possibility for which we can thank the unusual topography of South Tyrol.

The autumn is a time for retrospection, but also for looking ahead and planning for the future. We are especially happy to announce a new wine: Apollonia, a Pinot Noir growing at an elevation of 450 meters above sea-level overlooking the district of Missiano - Appiano. It will be the first biodynamic wine offered by Alois Lageder and thus the vanguard of our intention to gradually motivate all of our contractual vintners to convert to bio-organic and biodynamic cultivation techniques.

The autumnal equinox on September 23 is one of those inflection points in Nature which we humans also notice. The day and night are then of equal length, the arc of the sun dips deeper in the sky, and Mother Nature lets us know that the summer is over and that we must again get used to increased coolness, dampness, and darkness. But before that happens, the autumn garbs the landscape in an array of magnificent colors. This is traditionally the time for the Thanksgiving Feast, which the Celts called ‘Mabon’, and which the Ancient Greeks celebrated in the name of the goddess of fertility, Demeter. In a wine-growing region like South Tyrol, this old custom is practiced in particular in the many wine festivals and the tradition of ‘Törggelen’ (stopping in at informal inns for hearty refreshments). If you should have occasion to visit our region during this time, we would be happy to welcome you at our vineyards so that we could celebrate the new vintage together!

Hoping to see you soon in Magrè,

Alois Lageder

Attached newsletter articles

• The origins of Lagrein
• Inge Zwick