This year’s vine blossom released its subtile and captivating perfumes in early June. This is within the annual average, making 2008 neither a particularly early year, nor a late one for blossoming.

The date of blossoming is among the most important ones for the winemaker.

For the ripening of the potential grapes, the spring weather is actually much more important than the conditions in late summer, which is usually more or less hot and will lead to a grape development which varies little from year to year.

The blossoming date in early June leads us to believe that the grapes of the 2008 vintage will reach full maturity, but will also carry a lively acidity well into September.

There will be no premature ripening in August. This will make it possible for us to harvest a fresh, light base wine for our sparkling wines in September and then wait until November to harvest the single vineyards with their expressive, great wines.

This will be no year for great, fat red wines, either, but we are not looking for these in any case. Graceful, fragrant Pinot Noir, Zweigelt and St Laurent, however, are beckoning already.