Harvest 2020: a year of quality for Mandrarossa

      Harvest time for Mandrarossa. During the unprecedented 2020, among the vine rows one can sense an atmosphere full of expectations and aromas. The ritual is the same, but the desire to reap the fruits of a year of hard work and to innovate is stronger than ever.

The harvest in the Menfishire Vineyards

      In the Menfishire vineyards, where Mandrarossa has selected the best terroirs and where it grows native and international varieties, the farmers harvested ripe and juicy grapes, improved by the hot summer temperatures that this summer had a significant impact on the quality, resulting excellent.

     In terms of quantity, the production is in line with that of 2019. The high temperatures during July and August, have in fact drastically decreased the weight of the bunches preventing the productive growth of 10-15% that was predicted in the previous months.

     The elevated temperatures during the summer have also influenced the harvest period by anticipating it. In fact, in the Mandrarossa vineyard the harvesting began on July 30th. Starting August 3rd, the varieties harvested were Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and other varieties, ending during the first ten days of October with the Grecanico dorato, the last variety to be harvested.

An excellent quality 2020 vintage

       At a qualitative level – as Filippo Buttafuoco confirms, head of wine production at Mandrarossa – the grapes are healthy, perfect thanks to the grape selection made ahead of time to guarantee the best combinations of variety and soil, climate and the use of farming techniques such as pruning and protection from eventual disease. The location of the Mandrarossa vineyards, along the south-western coast of Sicily between the sea and the hills, provides the varieties an ideal habitat and full of microterroirs with a high qualitative potential, where each type of grape fully expresses its characteristics.

A harvest featuring innovation, eco-sustainability and tradition

       How is a Mandrarossa vineyard harvested? And what makes the grapes so special?

       Everything starts from the team of oenologists and wine-making technicians who follow the trend of the ripening cycle of the grapes, using modern technology, and start the harvest. Each partner knows exactly when to harvest the grapes and send them to winery, thanks to the innovative app Enogis, which monitors the values of each plot of land.

       The high level of innovation that inspires Mandrarossa’s work allows for using cutting edge techniques and methods that add value to the grapes. For example, the harvest of the refined white grapes occurs through the mechanical night harvest. A harvest method that is performed from midnight to 5 am, lasting about 40 days. The main advantage for the mechanical night harvest is the quality of the grapes maintained at a high level. This is because when the grapes are harvested at night, with temperatures 10/15 degrees lower than the day, the oxidation of the grapes is greatly reduced, and they are better preserved.

       Another great advantage of the mechanical night harvest is its eco-sustainability. Working at night, when the temperatures are lower, reduces the amount of energy necessary for processing the grapes, protecting the environment from pollution. An example is cryo-maceration, an eco-friendly technique that has the goal of producing wines with intense aromas, fruity and defined, by reducing the temperature of the grapes down to 4/5 degrees centigrade. In fact, if cryo-maceration is performed during the day, when the temperature of the harvested grapes is about 30/33 degrees, a large amount of energy is needed to lower the temperature to the ideal 4/5 degrees. Vice versa, if performed during the night hours, when the temperature of the grapes is low (18/20 degrees), less energy is needed with consequent lower impact on the environment. For this reason, Mandrarossa has implemented these protocols for years.

       In the Mandrarossa vineyards, the harvest is also tradition. In fact, part of the harvest is done manually, meaning directly by the winemakers, who surrounded by vine leaves and rows, pick the bunches with scissors and colourful baskets. The harvested grapes are then sent to the winery, where they will be analysed and processed, starting the following phase that will lead to the creation of the Mandrarossa wines.