The fruit

140 ha of the Valley have been planted with vines of the following French grape varieties: Merlot (over half of them), Syrah (one quarter), and almost equal share of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The quality of the fruit is increased by limiting the yield. The yield is 6000 kilograms per ha. The surplus grapes are cut off the vines when they are still green.

„I am a specialist in winemaking. I’ve just transferred the technology we use in Bordeaux and adapted it to the specifics of the climate here. In fact, to make the wine is always the same. The important thing is the terroir, an here it is splendid!”

Count Stephan von Neipperg

Grape Picking

Starting the harvest requires patience. In 2010 this moment came as late as the middle of October. The experts of the Bessa Valley Winery wait for optimal ripeness.

At present the Valley yields 700 tons of grapes.

Grape picking continues for about 25 days. The Bessa Valley Winery accommodates 250 people who come here to hand-pick the grapes. People, observing the grape picking for the first time are surprised of how the labor and feast become one.

The Magic

Only selected grape berries reach the fermentation hall. They are seriously selected – the grape berries are put on long sorting tables to be sorted one by one.

In the fermentation tanks the grapes begin their transformation into wine. The berries burst open under their own weight and give off their sweet juice. This is the moment at which wine-makers are most tensed.

The wine made here is blended. It is a result of the precise combination of several sorts of wine in the search of harmony. The structuring of this wine is the most important act of the Bessa Valley oenologists.

Maturing

The wine is observed very carefully in the next 9 to 16 months, during which it is kept in the barrels under the hill. During this time the wine develops, matures and is finally bottled.

The Bessa Valley wines are produced only from grapes grown in its own vineyards. They reflect the characteristics of the climate, soils and aromas of the Valley. Some people can also feel in them a trace of a magical harmony.