DECEMBER

The wind from the north persists, it is cold, the sap has withdrawn deep down into the ground: it is winter.
In December the winegrower makes an extra effort to finish the autumn tasks that he started after the vintage. If the weather still allows it, he will apply some manure, peat or compost. Everything that has been completed before the year-end, is time earned for spring.
When the weather is bad, he cleans his equipment, examines his machines so that everything is in good working order for the next season. In the summer, the hours are precious and it is imperative that the machinery works without fail.
Finally, everything depends on the weather, or to be more precise on Lady Meteorology. It is her who allows us to be ahead in time or on the contrary who is responsible if we are late in our viticultural tasks. She is in command and is the link between sky and earth. She fixes and marks the limit of what is natural. She teaches us to resist, but also to accept the things we cannot change. She also is responsible for the wrinkles on the winegrower's face, she traces the shadow of the clouds and adorns the glare of the sun.
December. One morning, without any noise, the snow has fallen. A blast of fresh and invigorating air invades us, everything is white, it is bright, everything is new, it is rejoicing. When the first snow appears the winegrowers like to say "today all the vineyards are clean". Indeed, the snow has taken away any unevenness and no comparison is possible any longer; we are again all equal and ready to proceed together and with confidence into the new year.
In the cellar, the first fermentation is completed. The yeast (living organisms) worked well as it has transformed all the sugar in the must into alcohol. It is very important that this fermentation be active, but without uproar. In this way the other elements are also better developed; for instance the glycerines that give the smoothness, fullness and unctuousness to the wine. If the fermentation is too exuberant, part of the aroma will escape and it will be reduced in consequence.
We try to manage this alcoholic fermentation by appropriate temperatures in the cellars and by cultivating selected yeast that is resistant to the sulphur, is hard working and develops the finest aroma. However quite often, the wine does as it pleases. It works and ferments with the savage yeast that is already on the grapes. And this may also produce excellent results.
The second fermentation, called malolactic fermentation, is a biological desacidification and therefore a natural process. This is necessary for the balance of the wines in our region. Bacteria perform this transformation. Nothing exists that allows to provoke its beginning except keeping the cellar at a temperature of about 13º. Sometimes it takes place only in spring when the sap rises. Therefore a regularly repeated tasting is necessary. From time to time it is good to invite the opinion of a neighbour because one tends to get used to a specific taste, even if it is not a desirable one.
Our wives do not appreciate this period very much. They say that the new wine has gone to our heads and gives us bad ideas. It is true that, on occasions and with an excellent barrel, one may forget to spit the wine out again, but it tastes so good that you cannot but swallow it.
And then it is so cold outside, so one is inclined to prolong the session. This tasting allows following the evolution of the new wine, and if it develops nicely, one should let nature do its job. However if the wine is fragile and shows signs of degradation, one has to decant it quickly taking all necessary precautions. Once all the impurities have been removed, it will be nicely coloured by the end of winter. It is only from that moment onwards that it will be possible to discover the flavour of its soil, the delicacy of its aroma and above all the timing and the weather conditions, which influenced the vine that particular year and confined them to a glass of wine.

Cheers and to your good health!

Gaston Dubois