Winemaker Pasquale Chiapparini prepares for the grape harvest as follows: “We had to protect the grapes from sunburn.”

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Pasquale Chiapparini (49) collects berries from various grapes, breaks them and looks at the seeds. Then they go into your mouth. He wants to know how bitter they are. Then the winemaker tastes the juice of the fruit and chews the skin. «The fruit peel is soft and can be easily removed from the pulp. It’s a good sign that the fruit will ripen soon,” says trottenmeister of the wine cooperative Döttingen AG.

Chiapparini then takes a refractometer from his pocket. “With this device I can determine the sugar content of the fruit and use this to calculate the approximate alcohol content of future wine.” He puts the juice on the glass prism and covers it with a lid. Now the winemaker only needs to look into the eyepiece of the refractometer and then the must weight of the unfermented grape juice is displayed using Oechslegrad. “We have 85 proof Oechsle, which is ideal for the current state of Pinot.”

Protect grapes from sunburn

These days Chiapparini starts harvesting grapes. A little later than expected. “We wanted to start harvesting at the beginning of the month, but then the thermometer dropped Below 20 in early August.” The variable summer took its toll on Swiss winemakers. Spring was very cool, June was very dry, and in July hail and heavy rain affected the vineyards. August varied between autumn and midsummer, and September was warm weather It started with waves and drought.

Sunny days are welcome for winemakers; Sunny days are needed for the grapes to ripen and become sweet. However, direct sunlight is not good because fruits can also get sunburned. “When the sun hits the grapes, the aromas in the fruits change. In extreme cases, the cells of the fruit may rupture. They become woody and thus the wine becomes bitter,” explains Chiapparini. “When we were working on the leaves in July, we put a lot of effort into defoliating the grape area so it was well ventilated, but the grapes were still in the shade and therefore protected from it.” Weather conditions have been very difficult in recent months. “We will see whether the 2023 wine year will be good only when we can taste some mature wine.”

This year, those who are interested can participate in the harvest in person. The Döttingen wine cooperative participates in Swiss Wine’s “On the Pulse of the Harvest” event. Swiss producers invite visitors to their wineries for two weekends. “Commitment as an amateur winemaker is rewarded with a pleasant morning and a winemaker’s dinner,” says Chiapparini. “I look forward to introducing visitors to the fascinating world of winemaking.”

Wine is stored at 14 degrees

Pasquale Chiapparini has been a passionate winemaker for 23 years. His winery produces up to 60,000 bottles of wine each year. «More than 60 percent of our grape area is planted with Pinot noir. “In addition to Pinot noir, we also produce Pinot gris, Chardonnay and Malbec.” Trottenmeister is particularly proud of his Pinot noir Spätlese. “These grapes hang longer and are more compact and fuller-bodied.”

Spätlese, like other types of wine, is stored at 14 degrees in one of the winery’s two vaulted cellars. “This place was built in 1867 and was originally used to store grain,” says Chiapparini. The vault now serves as a warehouse for wooden barrels and barricades. The largest barrel is 2330 liters. “I take samples every few weeks to see how the wine is developing.”

“A nice fruity nose”

It’s on the show again today. The winemaker climbs onto the barrel lid with a ladder, pours himself a glass, and takes a strong breath through his nose. “It has a nice fruity nose with a nice spice,” the 49-year-old enthuses. “But I still didn’t like the taste.” Here it still lacks cohesion.

Pinot noir Spätlese will be released next spring. It now remains in storage and Pasquale Chiapparini and his team focus on harvesting. “This is a very tiring job, but I also have a lot of fun.”

Swiss winemakers produce 37 percent of the wine drunk in Switzerland. Only 1-2 percent of the wine produced in this country is exported. “This is very pleasing; customers appreciate the variety.” But in his eyes, the Aargau wine region is rarely perceived that way. “Many people do not know about the wineries in our canton, they are definitely missing something. “We consciously participate in the “Am Puls der Harvest” event because we want to be noticed beyond borders.”

Source : Blick