Every bottle contains a year of work, waiting, and choices. Wine doesn’t begin in the cellar-it begins in the vineyard, and nature sets the pace. In Salento, where the Mediterranean climate brings long summers and mild winters, the vine’s cycle repeats each year with ever-changing nuances. To follow it is to understand where each wine’s character comes from-because no two vintages are ever the same.
Winter: A Time of Rest
Winter is the quiet season. The bare vines may look inactive, but beneath the soil, their roots are working-storing energy for the months ahead. This is the time for pruning, an ancient practice that guides the plant and shapes the quality of the future harvest. Meanwhile, in the cellar, the previous vintage continues its aging, in steel tanks and wooden barrels.
Spring: Renewal and Awakening
With the first warmth and longer daylight, the vines begin to bud. This is the time for shoot thinning, tying, and daily care. The plant grows and must be kept in balance: too much vigor means excessive yield and diluted concentration; too little, and the harvest may suffer. During this time, Salento’s vineyards burst into green, and the countryside comes back to life.
Summer: Ripening and Waiting
Summer is the season when everything can change in an instant. The strong Salento sun concentrates sugars and aromas in the grapes, while the dry northern Tramontana wind keeps the clusters dry, reducing the risk of disease. This is when the vintage’s quality is decided.
Some vineyards-like those of Primitivo-reach ripeness as early as August, while others take more time.
In the cellar, preparations begin for the harvest: tanks, presses, and vats are cleaned and made ready. Everyone knows the most intense part of the year is just around the corner.
Harvest and Autumn: The Transformation Begins
September-often August these days-marks the start of the grape harvest, the most awaited moment of the year. Grapes are picked, sorted, and brought to the winery. Here, fermentation begins: the must bubbles, aromas fill the air, and the wine takes shape.
It’s a fast and delicate stage, where every decision-from temperature to maceration time-shapes the wine’s personality.
Autumn is also when the vines shed their leaves again, closing the cycle that began months before.
The Bottle: A New Beginning
After fermentation and aging, the time comes for bottling. Not all wines follow the same path: fresher whites and rosés are released quickly, while important reds rest longer in the cellar.
In both cases, the bottle isn’t the final step-it’s the start of a new journey. Because wine continues to evolve even inside the bottle, protected from light and heat, until the cork is pulled and a year’s work becomes a single sip.
From winter dormancy to the harvest’s frenzy, each season leaves a mark on the wine. In Salento, this cycle is shaped by light, wind, and sea-elements that find their way into the glass alongside the winemaker’s touch. Every bottle becomes the essence of a year, made up of repeated gestures and unpredictable variables. And it’s this balance between rhythm and surprise that makes wine feel so alive.