For Sara Martínez (our winemaker of Son Vich de wineries), this profession is somewhat vocational. Entering a cellar and smelling wine in fermentation, the aroma that leaves in the cellar a racking or working with barrels is part of his life and loves it.
As a minority profession, it is often an unknown profession outside the sector, which is why we are going to tell you a little about the work of a winemaker.
The process of elaboration of the wine a priori is quite simple, from the grape of the pressed vineyard we got the must and after its subsequent fermentation we obtain the wine. But there are many variables to control in this whole process and even reach it. The management and control of all these variables are part of the winemaker’s work.
The raw material is the fundamental part of the whole process, without a good grape you will not be able to obtain a good wine. To do this, there are many operations to be managed in the field. From pruning, where we control the production of each strain. Pruning in green, where unwanted shoots are eliminated, removal of leaves to favour the ventilation of the clusters, thinning of clusters, etc. Treatments and plow passes with the tractor.
Climatology plays a fundamental role in all these processes, although we can not control, we can do the most appropriate operation at any time.
Among the winemaker’s work is also the monitoring of maturation through analysis and grape tasting to determine the optimum harvest time of each variety, which is essential to obtain a quality wine.
Follow-up of vinification, analysis of grape juice and its progress in fermentation. Control of all the elaboration processes: pressing, reassembled, deincubated, decanting, ageing in casks, coupages, clarification, filtering, analysis of follow-up, bottling and final preparation, until the commercialization, management of the personnel. Follow-up of tastings and visits, fairs. Etc.
In part of the aforementioned works, a winemaker also has an important part of records management that takes up much of his time. Registries required by different institutions such as the Conselleria of agriculture, special taxes, health and ecological agriculture. Necessary for the correct functioning of the sector.
Broadly speaking, these are some of the functions that winemakers make daily. More attractive than others, but the end result, a good wine, makes everything worthwhile. ,