A winemakers guide to organic

The Bodegas Molina team invites us to learn more about the organic winemaking process with a few simple Q&As. 

How do we choose the right soil?

Wine is the result of the combination and interaction of men labor, grape variety, soil and climate. Therefore, the soil is one of the most important factors in the winemaking process. We choose soils that are poor in nutrients, but have good water drainage.

How do we take care of the soil?

Once the soil is chosen, vines are planted and the aim is to maintain a proper nutrient balance. This is important because, although there are only a few nutrients in the soil, they do have to be present.

How long does it take for the vine to bear fruit?

It takes three years from the plantation to the first harvest. The first quality harvest is obtained after the plant is well balanced, which takes at least a decade as plants are very vigorous at the beginning.

What kind of care do grapes receive before being harvested?

As with any food, a fruit in this case, grapes must be treated with care. The best way is to carry out harvest by hand, because this does not damage the berries, and then transport them quickly to the winery, always keeping a low temperature environment.

How do we determine that the grape is ready for harvesting?

This is done by performing maturity, chemical, physical and organoleptic tests. You have to taste the grapes over and over again, be patient, wait and harvest at the right time… In order to do this, you need to resort to science and the art of making a good wine.

How do we choose the grapes for winemaking?

White wines are made with high acidity grapes, balanced with the right concentration of sugar, and clear and very aromatic skins that confer the characteristic charm of these wines. The rosé wine making process applies the same criteria and adds the violet color of the grape skins. The right balance is what makes these wines so attractive. The reds are made from bluish red varieties that have a high polyphenols concentration, especially tannins and anthocyanins, which give the red wines their distinctive character.

How is a blend designed?

Once the components are tasted and their weaknesses and potentialities are assessed, for the blend the aim is to cancel and compensate the weaknesses while enhancing the strengths. This is where the art of good wine experts shines.

What is the difference between an organic and a non-organic winemaking process?

Organic production protects the ecological balance of the place where the grapes are harvested, and the winemaking process follows a careful but simple natural process. This is the way it has been done for the last 7,000 years. 

When people drink wine, they should know that they are consuming a healthy and millenary product. When you drink wine, you travel through history and improve your health.

Do the soil and vines of an organic wine receive the same care as the rest?

No. In organic production, no chemicals are added; everything is absolutely natural.

What about the harvest? How is it different?

Harvesting must be very clean and careful because no antibiotics or antiseptics can be used.

What is the most relevant step in the process, the one that will ultimately determine the quality of the wine?

All of them are relevant. When quality is affected, you go down a step and never recover. As wines are edible, once they are spoiled, they cannot be improved by natural means.

The best winemaker is the one who knows how to maintain the quality that Mother Nature has given to the grape.

Humans can’t create quality; we are only called to take care: of wines, of nature and of land… our shared home.