HAND PICKED

FROM THE VINE TO THE WINE

At Bessa Valley we make sure the vines are carefully preserved and because of that we make sure the grapes are gathered gently by hand. After the harvesting, winemaking technology takes us to the “receiving line” of the French company Vaslin Bucher Delta Oscillys - a new generation machine that separates the grapes from the bunch without crushing them.

THE GRAPES

The grapes are selected by manually removing parts from the grapes, after the greens and leaves are separated from the grains and on vibrating table bunches are sorted. Transported by elevator to a grain picker. The process is followed by filling the tanks and steering the bunches before going into the fist of the extraction techniques.

THE PROCESS

The tanks are filled, then a cold maceration process follows - takes place for 3 to 5 days at a temperature of 10-12°C which aims to extract aroma , taste and color. After establishing the desired parameters, alcoholic fermentation starts for about 1 week at a temperature of 24-25°C. Tanks are seeded with yeast, converting the fruit's sugars into alcohol. Post-maceration follows, where the fermented wine remains in the lees from seven to 10 days, fixing color and tannins in alcoholic medium. The entire process from grape harvest to wine is 25 days. What lies beyond is the magic process of aging in French oak barrels, where the process of the Bordeaux residents will lead us into the world of coupage and far from the imagined desired results.

HARVEST 2022

Harvest season is one of the most exciting moments, weaving together the spirit, hard work and love for wine. The love for what you grow and the satisfaction of closing the winemaking cycle. This tradition takes you into the magic of winemaking, unfolding the long, laborious and care-filled process. Harvest time is primarily determined by the ripeness of the grapes, measuring sugar, acid and tannin levels and takes place between August and October in Bulgaria.