Open: Year Round
Wines can be no better than the grapes from which they are made. This concept is the basis of the centuries-old estate or "chateau" wine-making traditions of France and Germany. Â An estate, or farm winery, uses grapes grown from its own adjacent vineyards. The entire vinification process, including the crushing, pressing, fermentation, aging, and bottling, occurs on site. Â Since grapes ripen at different times from vineyard to vineyard, an estate winery is better able to harvest the grapes at their perfect ripeness. Grapes start to deteriorate the moment they're picked, and the farther they must be transported and the longer the time until they are crushed, the more their quality is affected. Â Estate wines are proudly labeled "Erzeuger-Abfullung" in Germany, "Mise du Chateau" in France, and "Estate Grown and Bottled" in the United States.
