The vineyard receives exhaustive treatment all year round. The capacity and production quality of the fruit is balanced by the stress effect of the plantation density, 2.976 vines per hectare, and the cultural conditions the vineyard is subject to.
Each year in early summer, thinning carried out in order to eliminate excess clusters and to position and form the crop in such a way so as to expose the fruit to optimum conditions for ripening. Thinning also allows to control crop yield and obtain a controlled production which, depending on the variety, is no higher than two kilos per vine.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the philosophy that Finca Casa Alarcón holds for cultivation. This consists of prioritising methods which respect the environment and health, minimising the use of pesticides. Irrigation is performed with organic fertilisers completely free of soil or crop residue which ensures a complete program for the highest quality production of clusters and wine.
Extra organic matter is periodically added using fertiliser from the farm. This means that our soils are ecologically nourished contributing a significant amount of microbial flora enriching the soil with life.
During the summer the state of ripening of the grapes is monitored on a daily basis with acid, sugar, pH and polyphenols index tests to determine optimal time for harvesting of each variety. In the same way, particular attention is paid to the maintenance of the vines to favour correct ripening of the fruit.
Manual harvest means the vine is not damaged and is the only way to guarantee that the grapes, which are transported immediately to the winery in 15 kilogram boxes, reaches the destination whole and in a perfect state, avoiding fermentation and oxidation. Manual harvest also allows for an initial selection of the grape to be carried out on the field.
As the grapes enter the winery they pass through the sorting table for a second selection process and so eliminate any leaves, stalks and all fruit which does not meet the necessary quality requirements.