Our Process | Editorial on Via Vecchia's Natural Wine

When you have a glass of wine, is it really just a glass of wine?

People are becoming more concerned about what they consume than ever before. Especially when considering the effects something may have on their body. This is why you see many taking time to read labels before making their purchases.

But have you ever read the ingredient label on a bottle of wine?

Probably not! Wine labels are not food labels, so you will not find listed ingredients.


As mentioned in May 2013 issue of Bon Appetit (The Wine Insider) article “Oh, Natural!” many people believe grapes are the sole ingredient in the majority of wines; this is not the full-bottled-fact. In attempts to make the ‘perfect wine’, there are significant uses of commercialized yeasts, artificial colorings or flavorings, massive amounts of sugar, sulfur and even more chemical agents added to the recipe. Perhaps the consumer’s headache was not from the wine, but from the unmentioned ingredients added during the cellar process that many winemakers have come to adopt.
 

Bon Appetit | May 2013  

            Via Vecchia Winery in the historic brewery district of Columbus, Ohio is proud to produce wine from heritage blends, naturally from an honest artisanal process with a single ingredient –Grapes.

Wine with taste, body and integrity!

                        In October, grapes are shipped in from San Joaquin (wa-keem) Valley, California to the winery, where all the production takes place. The winemakers inspect all grapes, removing any brown vine leaves or “green” grapes. These are stomped in the traditional way using a 12-foot wine trough, plus a crusher/de-stemmer machine capable of doing 1.5 tons per hour. Primary fermentation takes place in 900 gallon vats, where lush skins and juices interact with wild yeasts to produce wine. When this stage peaks, the brilliant liquid is transferred to secondary fermentation to continue the process without skins, which are pressed-out to provide top-up wine for the barrels during ageing. Between the end of February and early March, wine is ready to be transferred to oak barrels for up to two years of ageing. Via Vecchia chooses to use only French Oak barrels that exhibit tight wood grain so as not to impart any wooden flavours which may obscure the taste of the wine.

                        The two owners, Paolo Rosi and Michael Elmer, take pride in their wine and now many can understand why. The pair enjoys being involved in every aspect of the business and welcomes the community for an annual Crush event in the Fall. Via Vecchia Winery has also been featured in several magazines both locally and nationally for the outstanding atmosphere of its venue; aside from wine production, they also take bookings for weddings, corporate affairs and even cultural music events.

Article written by Lindsay Everson