During September, Caliterra held a very special activity with its community. On this occasion the visitors were the students, teachers and parents of the Integra Mundo Feliz Kindergarten, located in El Huique, Palmilla county.
More than 25 people participated in the visit led by Carlos Oyarzún, Administrator and Viticulturist of Caliterra, with the purpose of being a recreation instance where everyone could enjoy outdoor and nature, take a walking tour to know its facilities and sustainable management of the vineyard, as well as visiting the alpacas and sheep that help with weed control.
The Spring arrival in the vineyards
Viña Caliterra Viticulturist Carlos Oyarzún shares the scopes of spring in the vineyard and the importance of this season in viticulture cycles: “Spring is key because it marks a turning point between winter and summer: temperatures begin to rise, the rains end, and with that comes the real beginning of the season, the vines begin to sprout and we are already beginning to see how the year is going to develop.”
How does the arrival of spring affect the grapes?
Along with the arrival of spring, all the physiological processes of the vines are unleashed: the vine goes from winter recess to an active state of growth, in which the vineyard begins to turn green. If winter has been generous in rainfall, we could expect a good budding in spring and hopefully with a good load of fruit. If spring is stable in terms of temperatures, budding is more even and the phenological stages are more uniform. In other words, the shoots will have a similar size and flowering and future processes will take place at the same time, allowing a uniform veraison and ripening of the grape, which is always good for a concentrated harvest that is reflected in the wine’s quality.
What do you think about this spring’s arrival compared to last year’s?
This year I believe spring is coming later. But in general this lag is never greater than a week or 10 days. It has to do with the fact that September was a relatively cold month, which makes budding slower. This season there were also spring frosts, which, although they did not affect us much here in Caliterra, were generalized in the central zone.
What differences exist between spring and the other seasons in terms of quality, colors and aromas?
One of the differences that spring has in its first months (September and October) is that the landscape is still green from the winter rains, which is combined with the greenery of the newly sprouting vines. This is not seen in other seasons, because in winter the landscape is green but the vines are not, and in summer the vineyard is green but the landscape is dry. The aromas are also very characteristic, as there are numerous species of native flora blooming, along with pollinating insects, birds hatching from their eggs, hatchlings, etc. Basically, I see spring as a “return to life” in the vineyard and all its surroundings.
