When we pour wine into our glass, we tend to forget that nearly 85% of the liquid dancing in the goblet is water. Water naturally plays a crucial role not only in the chemical composition of the final product. When we talk about its significance, we must think holistically, within the entire system of life. From the soil’s water retention capacity, through the water needs of our grapevine, to the rational use of the significant amount of water inevitably used in winemaking (cellar) work.
In our wine region, approximately 600 mm of precipitation falls annually. In recent years, this amount has arrived increasingly erratically and unpredictably. There are long, extremely dry periods followed by short but extremely rainy intervals. Under such conditions, it becomes especially important to keep the water retention capacity of our soils in the best possible condition, as a single grapevine can evaporate 1.5-3.4 liters of water from the soil in one day.
Before new plantings, we conduct surveys that assess both the soil structure of the area to be planted and the terrain conditions. When justified, we modify the terrain so that the incoming precipitation can be optimally utilized on the site. We create longer paths for runoff water to reach the bottom of the hill, install water brakes, and build microterraces. These planning and execution tasks require significant energy investment and serious expertise, as each area’s water retention capacity is unique.
In our winery, to reduce environmental impact, clean, pollution- and chemical-free rinse water from the bottling line is directly channeled from the machines to a specially designed collection area, into two 10 m3 tanks. On the incoming side, the water used in production passes through an iron filter and water softener. On the outgoing side, we separately collect water that does not come into contact with production or chemicals. We separately store greywater, which is used in cleaning winemaking equipment, as it is perfectly suitable for irrigation and spraying. Rainwater collected from the roof of the hall building is also gathered in several 100 m3 tanks and then reused inside the building and/or in the vineyards for irrigation, similar to the rinse water stored in collection tanks.
Conscious water use extends to all our activities. We use our own water softening equipment, and water-saving flushing systems operate in the restrooms. In bottling, the use of clean, sterile-filtered water is of paramount importance, and we perform the filtration ourselves down to 0.2 microns, which is practically refined to pharmaceutical-grade purity.
Our efforts toward conscious water use, of course, do not stop at the current state. As we develop and plan, we strive to do more and more continuously.
Without water, there is no grapevine, without which there is no wine.
Without water, we ourselves would not exist.
Let’s take care of it!
