Witches’ kitchen in Salgesch
The grape harvest: Where the craft becomes an art
It is undisputed that there are many special moments in a winemaker’s year. Many people certainly believe that the most important moment is when the finished new wine can be poured into a glass and tasted for the first time. It is the irretrievable moment of truth, so to speak, as to whether the hard work of a whole year has really been worth it.
Diego Mathier also greatly appreciates this special moment. However, for him, the actual winemaking is the true measure of all things.
The start in Salgesch
When the doors open next door to the winery of the three-time best Swiss winemaker of the year in the house where Diego’s grandfather Oskar Mathier once forced the development of today’s winery, the grape harvest has begun in the vineyards and a hustle and bustle sets in.
In addition to its own grapes, which come from the Mathier family’s 40 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards, the grapes are also supplied by numerous other winegrowers from Salgesch.
Receiving the grapes is a spectacle of a special kind every year. Whether red or white, Diego Mathier never misses the opportunity to take a critical look at every single grape delivered in person and check it thoroughly. Only when the successful winemaker from Salgesch gives the green light does the grapes move on to the next step in the winemaking process.
Quality in figures: The must weight
The grapes are weighed and their sugar content is then determined as one of the most important quality characteristics in subsequent wine production. This Oechsle value is a unit of measurement for the must weight of the grape must and indicates the sugar concentration contained in the grape.
The value not only provides information about the possible alcohol content of the wine later on, but is also an unmistakable sign of quality. After all, the grapes only reach full ripeness if they have been able to enjoy sufficient, high levels of sunlight in a good vineyard location in the preceding months.
High activity and teamwork
The next important step in the winemaking process at the Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen winery then begins: the grapes are processed directly. Teamwork is required to ensure that this can take place smoothly – on some days there is a traffic jam of winegrowers making deliveries on Bahnhofstrasse, and things have to move quickly because every moment counts twice during the harvest.
The employees at the grape reception of Diego Mathier’s winery are a well-rehearsed team, and thanks to their years of experience, the steps have become second nature.
A touch of magic
The different grape varieties, which come from the vineyards in and around Salgesch, are then prepared for various types of vinification. For the outsider, the mere sight of this process may well have something magical about it. Enhanced by the use of dry ice – as can be seen in the video – some people imagine themselves to be in a witch’s kitchen and are inclined to forget that it is about wine production. The aim is to offer incomparable moments of pleasure in the glass with the coming vintage. Another special moment in a winemaker’s year.