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Showing posts from November, 2020

A Closer Look at Organic Wines

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The terms of eco- or organic wines have become very popular of late. Some wine merchants and sommeliers play it as a trump card or a conclusive argument when something is clearly not quite right about a wine’s price /enjoyment ratio. Regrettably, this is just another hype which has become trendy because it sounds good and spreads without criticism. Most of those who use it would never think through what it actually means. Winegrowers and -makers are not fools, not even those who do not advertise themselves as being eco-friendly or organic producers. No one wants to burden their vineyards with additional active substances unless they have to. If for no other reason because every intervention – such as chemicals and labour – costs a lot. Eco-friendly or organic growing is an exceptionally appealing idea. In theory, it combines the best environmental approaches: a high level of biodiversity and the conservation of natural resources. Let’s look at this in practice. The fundamenta

Adopt a grapevine!

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One of our dear visitors made the remark that we talked about our vineyards as if they were lovely pets. Indeed, we love our grapes so we are quite certain that they have a soul. Adopt a grapevine that grows comfortably in its own natural environment. Monitor its growth and do good with the amount of capital devoted to it! Adoption can be done by individuals and companies alike. Fixed value of adoption: HUF 15,000 / year. We will spend on charity HUF 10,000 of every adoption. The organization that receives the funds: State Institute for the Blind ( Fény A Sötétben Foundation Tax ID: 18154472-1-42 ) We will send you a financial receipt of charity donation. As an exchange gift for adoption we send you a bottle of world class Cassiopeia wine. In 2020, this would be Cassiopeia Cabernet Sauvignon 2011. The name of the owner is will be displayed on the vine, attached to it with a plastic clamp. The owner will receive an A5 „ Diploma on adoption „ by mail. We will send you a photo of the deve

The heartfelt suspense of waiting for the grapes to transform

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  How do all the small decisions influence the life of a wine? Whose opinion merits attention when considering demand? What is needed to make a premium wine? How can tradition and innovation be combined? We talked to the head winemaker of the Jammertal Estate, Zsófia Kövesdi. As the head winemaker at the Jammertal Winery, what are your aims for the next 3 years? In the coming years I would like to finalise the different directions of styles of our wines and refine the preparatory technology of the different wines in our portfolio. This can be perfectly accomplished over 3 years since during this period of time, in spite of the differences of the vintages, similarities are well detectable For me the great challenge is to express my own interpretation in each of our wines while retaining the orientation they have had until now. I intend to create individual items which are not necessarily reproduced every year. I will not be revealing any real secrets if I mention my endeavours with Ch

Progress in winemaking is only possible by always striving for the best

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Conversation with Róbert Szűcs M.D., co-owner of Jammertal Wine Estate Jammertal Wine Estate, Hungary, Villány Stereotypically, winemaking is thought to be a romantic profession, conjuring up the image of vines, barrels, and a sampling tube. What is it in reality? The basic goal of winemaking is to turn grape sugar into an alcoholic drink by fermentation; it is quite a simple process. However, making high quality wine year after year demands considerable expertise, years of experience and discipline. Winemaking is a multifactorial process which includes a creative approach while respecting and understanding the fundamental rules and a sound technological background. Your main emphasis is producing top quality wines in the wide portfolio of products on offer. What challenges does this present? Thanks to the fortunate combination of the microclimate, soil and grape varieties in Villány, we can make world-class wines , but there can be no guarantee of achieving this in every vin