Abendmahltisch – Communion Table

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A year in the vineyard and the cellar

The winegrower’s year leaves little time to pause. Every task influences what eventually goes into the bottle: a carefully made wine and an expression of its origins. The months in this overview describe a typical pattern; weather, grape variety and winemaking choices can alter the timetable.

Winter: pruning and tying down

In January and February, the vines are pruned. The number of buds retained helps determine the potential yield. In February and March, the remaining cane is bent and tied down, encouraging the new shoots to develop as evenly as possible.

Spring: selecting the shoots

In April and May, excess young shoots are removed. This helps manage growth and the resources available to the developing grapes. It continues the quality decisions already made during winter pruning.

Summer: training and leaf removal

In May, June and July, shoots grow quickly in warm weather. During shoot positioning, they are arranged between wires so that they grow upwards and the rows remain accessible. Leaf removal follows in August where needed. This improves ventilation and influences the amount of sunlight reaching the grapes.

Autumn: harvesting and fermentation

September and October centre on the grape harvest. The grapes are then processed in the cellar, where fermentation turns the must into wine. Learn how harvesting technology has developed at the Old Wine Press stop.

Winter in the cellar: time for the young wine

In November, December and January, much of the work moves into the cellar. Once fermentation is complete, barrels are topped up. The young wine is given time to mature and may remain on its lees.

In February and March, wines are racked before bottling, separating them from the lees. Regular tasting allows growers to follow their development and make the final adjustments. Eventually the wines are bottled and labelled. Meanwhile, the next vintage is beginning outside, and the cycle starts again.

Meet the people behind this work in the winegrowers’ directory. From this final stop, the circular route returns to the starting point at St Kilian’s Church.