Stepping into a pool of grapes was easily one of the most memorable experiences for Harvest 2017, and here you can join me in the lagar filled with grapes in this 360-degree wine video! Don’t forget to click and drag the screen to view the full 360-degree video.
The pool in question is one of the traditional stone lagars at Quinta do Noval where they continue to crush their grapes by foot in the same way they have for centuries. It’s a much more gentle process of crushing (meaning you don’t break any of the pips which contain bitter oils) but it is also thorough so that you can maximise the extraction of the colour, tannin and aromas during the short 1-3 day maceration and fermentation process. CEO Christian Seely explains a bit more about why foot treading in the lagar is desirable – despite the considerably higher expense – in this interview.
This initial moment of stepping into the lagar was quite fun, but the process is actually very long and quite hard (repetitive) work. You can read my full article on the experience here. (LINK)
Other 80 Harvests 360-degree wine video collections: